iOwe You My Life
by wannabe1980
Summary: Based on iSaved Your Life. Will Carly finally see Freddie for the amazing guy he is? Or will she be distracted by a hot older guy pursuing her? Does Carly have real feelings for Freddie, or is it just gratitude for saving her? CREDDIE I don't own iCarly
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or anything affiliated with it.

iOwe You My Life

Prologue

Carly's POV

I walked out of Bushwell Plaza between my two best friends. They were hurling insults at each other, as usual, and I was caught in the crossfire. Even though their constant bickering sometimes irritated me, I had to give them credit for their wit. Most people couldn't give comebacks like that without a script or something. Today, however, their banter was hitting too close to home.

It all started with Sam asking me who I hoped would ask me to the Valentine's Day dance at school. I shrugged and mumbled something that didn't quite pass for a reply while my head was filled with images of Freddie's eyes as I stepped into his arms. My skin tingled with the memory of his hands pressing into the small of my back. My heart beat a little faster as I recalled the warmth and strength of his arms holding me tight against his chest.

I sent Freddie a sidelong glance and saw him staring intently at the ground. I wondered if he was remembering that night, too. He started to look up and almost caught me watching him, but I jerked my gaze away in the nick of time. His sigh was soft, but I heard it anyway. When I was brave enough to sneak another peek at him, his stare had returned to his feet. Then Sam spoke up, "Of course we all know who Fredweird is going to ask." She paused, "Like there's any hope," she added with a sneer.

"Shut up, Sam!" Freddie said with a glare in her direction.

"You know it's true Freddifer. We've seen it a thousand times. You'll beg Carly to go with you with those puppy-dog eyes like always, and she'll have to be all nice and let you down easy. Then you'll mope around for a while hoping she'll change her mind, but she won't. By then, all the plan-B girls will be taken, too," she teased. When Freddie didn't reply, she kept pushing, "Aww, but don't worry. It will work out better for you that way."

Freddie and I both raised our heads to look at her wondering where she was going with this. "How do you figure?" Freddie asked hesitantly.

"Well you'll probably end up having another 'magical' night with Malika," Sam said with a smirk.

"Ugh! Just leave it alone, Sam!" Freddie replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Yep, that's what will happen to you all right, Freddo," Sam taunted. "You're gonna be left alone. All ALONE. While Carly's out dancing with…."

"SAM!" I shouted, turning to give her my best angry face.

"Whoa, Carls!" she said softly, taking a half step back and raising both hands. The angry face always worked. "I was just jokin' around."

"Well stop it," I snapped. I turned to Freddie, who looked at me with the most pitiful expression I had ever seen on his face. It was defeat mixed with sorrow and covered in resignation. It made me want to throw my arms around him and promise him anything, anything at all, if he would just smile for me.

Did I do that? Did I rush over to him and pull him into my embrace? Did I squeeze him tight and whisper in his ear that I would never leave him alone, ever again? No, of course not! That just wouldn't be the Carly way. Instead, I offered him a timid smile and said, "Coming, Freddie?" as I started to turn back toward the street.

"Nah," he said, "suddenly I'm not in the mood for smoothies. You and Sam go ahead. I'm going back home." He and I stood watching each other's eyes for one long moment before slowly turning away from each other.

I was lost in my own head, thinking about the scene that had just unfolded. What if I had given in to my urge? What if I had run to Freddie and thrown myself into his arms? What would I have said to him? Would I have been able to offer him anything besides a lame apology for Sam's rudeness? I know he wants my heart, but I don't want to give it to him. Do I? Ever since we shared that dance, things have been so confusing. He's just supposed to be my best friend, yet when I was in his arms, I felt so safe, so loved. There was definitely a spark between us that night, but there's still a part of me that can't see him as anything other than the sweet, slightly geeky boy with a crush on me. If that part of me could just see him as a _man_…

"CARLY, LOOK OUT!" I heard Sam scream as I stepped off the curb into the street. I looked up to see a truck on my left headed straight for me. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. I screamed and threw my arms up to cover my face, but my feet remained rooted to the spot. Then I felt something solid crash into me. I was thrown a couple of feet and landed on my side. I slowly opened my eyes, afraid of what I would see. I looked to where I had been standing moments before and saw the taco truck stopped, turned slightly toward the sidewalk where Sam was still standing. Sam's face was horror stricken. I thought the driver must be badly injured to scare her like that, but then the driver appeared at her side without a scratch on him.

_"She must not see me over here,"_ I thought. _"She thinks I'm hurt."_ I raised myself to my feet to show her that I was okay, but her face didn't change. Her eyes didn't move from the ground. I traced the line of her vision, and that's when I saw him. He lay on his left side directly in front of the truck. He was facing away from the truck, and his head was mere inches away from the driver's side tire.

"FREDDIE!" I screamed as I raced toward him. I slid to my knees beside him. "Freddie, are you okay?"

"Carly," he whispered. He struggled to open his eyes and looked up at me. I reached out to take his right hand. He screamed in pain when I touched his wrist, and I drew back my hand.

"Oh, God, Freddie," I sobbed. Tears blurred my vision as I looked down at him. He had a cut on his forehead, and blood was running down over his face. I was hesitant to touch him for fear of hurting him more.

"Carly," he said again as he started trying to sit up.

"Don't move, Freddie!" I said as I placed my hand on his chest and tried to push him back down. He kept struggling to sit up, so I scooted closer to him and placed my arms around him as best I could. He relaxed in my arms and let his weight rest on my lap. He looked up at me again and smiled weakly. "You're…ok," he said through ragged breaths.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Freddie. Thanks to you," I said through my tears. "I should go call for help," I said and started to move.

"No," he gasped, "don't leave me alone, Carly, please."

"I won't, Freddie. I promise I won't leave you alone, ever again." I cried.

"Had to…save you," he mumbled. "Love you."

Then his eyes fluttered shut, and he went limp in my arms.


	2. In the Hospital

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 1 In the Hospital

Carly's POV

I sat beside Freddie's bed looking at the tubes and wires running from various machines to his body. I tried to remember what had happened after he passed out in my arms. Everything had happened so fast. It was all a blur. Someone must have called 911 because an ambulance had come screeching to a halt behind me. The paramedics had pried my arms away from Freddie as I sobbed hysterically, thinking he was dead. _"Not my finest moment,"_ I thought wryly. I remembered watching the paramedics working frantically, then seeing Sam and Spencer coming out of the building. Sam had been carrying a half eaten taco. I recalled Spencer crouching down in front of me where I was still sitting on the ground. I must have fallen backward or something because the next thing I remembered was pulling my hand up off the ground and staring in horror at the wet red stain on my palm. Freddie's blood! I had started screaming and crying again as Spencer put his arms around me. The next thing I remembered was walking into this room and taking a seat in this awful chair. That was three days ago. School came and went, and I kept coming back here to this chair.

I sat there in that horribly uncomfortable chair letting my eyes wander around the room. I had seen the inside of this room every afternoon for the past three days. I knew every detail of it. The walls were a dull gray, the kind of gray that looks like concrete with dirt smeared on top of it. Nothing hung on them besides some hoses and switches. There was no artwork, nothing to look at but the television. The woman on the TV screen was the same one who had been there at this time yesterday afternoon and the day before. She was pretty, but she was that kind of white-bread pretty that is so common it really doesn't seem so pretty after all. She was gesturing with practiced grace at a map of the Seattle area she obviously couldn't see. Her aim was always slightly off as she pointed toward the different temperature readings around the city. She prattled on about the coming severe thunderstorms with a fake smile permanently plastered on her pretty, plain face. It was the exact same smile she had been wearing for three days.

The only truly beautiful thing in the room was the face of the boy sleeping in the bed. I had to think of him as sleeping. I couldn't bear the thought of him being unconscious. I had to believe he was just dreaming sweet dreams and would wake up any minute. I allowed myself an occasional glance at the bumpy green line showing Freddie's steady heartbeat. Seeing that line comforted me. As long as it kept making those waves, then my Freddie was going to be okay. Wait…my Freddie? What?

Yes, in some sense he was mine. He was my best friend. Well, he was tied for first place. He was definitely my best guy friend. He had been by my side since sixth grade. He stood by me no matter what. Every time I got my heart broken, every time some scheme backfired on me, he was there. Whatever I needed, he gave it. He really did love me. It wasn't just a crush or infatuation. It was that kind of self-sacrificing love that walks through fire and comes out stronger than before. Why hadn't I understood that before? _"He risked his life for me,"_ I thought. _"There is no deeper love than that."_

I stared at his sleeping face, praying for him to wake up. I reached out and took his left hand in mine. "Freddie," I whispered, "please come back to me. Please!" I leaned down and rested my forehead on the edge of the bed beside him and listened to the beep that meant the green line was still making waves.

I heard the door open and footsteps approaching. They stopped on the opposite side of Freddie's bed. I looked up to see Mrs. Benson gazing lovingly down at her son. Oddly enough, she didn't say anything. I expected her to scream and wail and beg him to wake up. Instead, she just pressed her fingers to her lips then gently touched them to his forehead.

Then she looked at me, and her expression changed completely. She went from the gentle, loving mother to the fierce lioness protecting her cub. "Carly," she said in a stern, even tone, "may I speak with you outside?'

"Uhm, sure," I stammered. I got to my feet and followed her outside with a glance over my shoulder at Freddie. When the door closed behind me, she turned to face me.

Her shoulders rose as she filled her lungs. She exhaled slowly with her eyes closed. Two deep, vertical lines creased her brow above her nose. Then she opened her eyes and relaxed her face. She took another short breath and began. "Carly, dear," she said, "as easy as it would be to blame you for this, we both know it isn't your fault. Accidents happen. I just need to know that you appreciate what Freddie has done for you."

I was instantly on the defensive. "I do, Mrs. Benson," I began. "I…"

She cut me off. "No, I don't think you do," she said. "Freddie is in love with you. I know I said I blamed you for getting his boy chemistry out of whack, but the truth is he is at an age when that would have happened anyway. What Freddie feels for you is more than just hormones. My Freddie is crazy about you." She sighed and shook her head slowly as she looked down at me. I could barely look her in the eye. I got the feeling she wasn't finished, so I stayed quiet and waited for her to go on. "I see his heart breaking over you every day," she continued. "I try so hard to protect him from harm, but I can't protect his heart from being broken." I could see tears glistening in her eyes as she went on, "That's the reason I was upset with you when he moved out. Because he just keeps trying harder and harder to impress you, to be the kind of boy you'd be interested in, but you don't notice him. Then he sits at home with a broken heart while you date your bad boys and your singers because he just wants you to be happy."

She paused for a minute to fight her tears while guilt chewed me up inside. When she regained her composure, she looked me in the eye. "Now his love for you has gotten him seriously injured," she said as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. "I just want you to realize how important you are to him. What he would give to make sure you are safe and happy. I know you can't force yourself to love him. I just want you to appreciate his love even if you can't return it." With that, she wiped her eyes and gave me a tight smile then walked back into Freddie's room.

I stood there with my back to the wall for a moment. I felt nauseous. I couldn't go back in that room just then. I wanted to be with Freddie, but I couldn't face Mrs. Benson when I knew her criticism was so right. I was a coward. That was my biggest problem. Well, it was in the top ten anyway. Why did she have to pull me out here and tell me everything I had just been thinking? I had been sitting in that chair thinking I was having some great epiphany, but apparently I was just catching up to what everyone else had known all along. "I'm Carly, and I ride the short bus!" I said in my peppy iCarly voice like I was beginning a webcast. Of course that brought images of Freddie staring down at the camera in his hands laughing to himself at my antics. "Enter Depression, stage left," I deadpanned. An orderly passing by turned and looked at me like I was a psych ward escapee or something. "Sorry," I mumbled as I pushed myself away from the wall and headed for the nearest exit. I pulled out my Pearphone and dialed Spencer. He was just a couple blocks away.

"I do appreciate Freddie's love for me, don't I?" I asked myself as I stepped outside. I looked up at the sky as if I'd find the answer there. Dark clouds carrying the thunderstorm the not-so-pretty weather girl had promised were rolling in. "That can't be a good sign," I mumbled as I started toward the parking lot.

Spencer pulled up to the curb seconds before I reached it. I opened the passenger door and practically fell into the seat. "Ready to go, kiddo?" he asked with a concerned look on his face. I just nodded. "How's Freddie?" he probed.

"About the same," I replied without looking at him. I stared quietly out the window with my forehead pressed against the glass as we pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward home. _"Who am I kidding?"_ I thought to myself. _"How can I say I appreciate Freddie's love? I've never even been willing to give it a chance, never even tried to open my heart to him."_ I realized right then that I, Carly Shay, was completely and totally unworthy of Freddie Benson's love.


	3. Back at School

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 2 Back at School

Carly's POV

I stood in front of my open locker and stared blankly at the textbooks inside. "Hey Carly!" I heard someone shout behind me. I turned to see Gibby coming toward me. I knew my smile didn't reach my eyes as I answered him. "Hey, what's up, Gibby?" I asked politely.

"Just wonderin' how Freddie's doing," he said.

"Oh, there hasn't been any change. He's stable, but he's still unconscious," I replied. I winced when my voice cracked over the word "unconscious."

"Man, I hope he wakes up soon. It's been four days! What do the doctors have to say?" he asked. I could see the genuine concern in his eyes, and it gave me the courage to be honest with him about what I knew.

"They say they don't see any apparent reason for him not to be awake by now. They are wondering if there's some kind of brain damage they haven't detected," I said as the tears started pooling in my eyes. "They are planning to do an MRI tomorrow to look for brain damage."

"Oh, well…I…uh…" Gibby stammered. "I'm sure everything will be okay. Freddie's a lot tougher than everyone gives him credit for. I mean he has to be pretty tough to take all of Sam's abuse, right?" He patted me on the back awkwardly as he said this.

"Right," I said with a wobbly smile. I was grateful to him for trying so hard to make me feel better.

"You're really lucky he was there to save you. Not everybody would have been fast or brave enough to do that. What he did was pretty awesome!" he said thoughtfully. "You know, two weeks ago we were at the indoor pool for gym class. Adam was nervous because he can't swim. Some of the bigger guys started picking on him, and Freddie stood up to them. He got right in their faces and told them to stop. They stopped, but a while later, they came up behind Adam and pushed him in the pool. Freddie was on the other side of the gym, but he came running and jumped right in. Didn't hesitate for a second. He pulled Adam out," Gibby paused to reflect on his story. "He's a hero," he whispered as he turned to me with a smile.

"Yeah," I said, my heart aching, "he is."

"Well, I gotta get to class. Late!"

"Bye, Gibby," I said as I watched him walk away.

The rest of the day passed much the same way. Everyone had gotten the details of the accident the day after it happened. Now everyone was constantly asking for updates on Freddie's condition. I just told most of them that there had been no change. Only the ones like Gibby, who I knew were Freddie's friends and genuinely cared about him, got the details.

At lunch, Wendy caught up with Sam and me. "Hey, Carly!" she shouted across the cafeteria. She came rushing over with her tray.

"Want me to trip her?" Sam whispered in my ear.

I smiled, a real smile for once, and said, "Nah, what's one more concerned citizen to deal with?"

"Don't say I didn't offer," Sam quipped as Wendy neared. Luckily my smile was still lingering as I turned to greet her.

"How's Freddie?" she asked as she placed her tray on the table across from Sam's and beside mine. I gave her the abridged version. "You're so lucky," she sighed.

"I know. He saved me. He's a hero," I said for the hundredth time.

"No," she said, "well, yeah, he is a hero, but that's not what I mean."

I felt my eyebrows rise as I looked at her. "What did you mean, then?" I asked.

"Well, just that he's so amazing, so brave, smart, cute," she gushed. "And he's so sweet. At the beginning of the semester, my little sister Julie was having some trouble. She's in seventh grade this year, and she just got braces and glasses before school. The other seventh grade girls were giving her a really hard time about it. She would come home crying every day about how they teased her about her looks and shunned her because they said the boys wouldn't like her. Well, you know how seventh graders are, right?" I nodded, and Wendy went on, "Well, Freddie saw it happening one day before school, and guess what he did!" She paused. I shrugged. She smiled, "He picked a chrysanthemum from in front of the school sign and went over to Julie. He gave her the flower in front of all those kids and asked if he could walk her to class. She was walking on air for weeks after that, and she hasn't been teased since then. That's how awesome he is, and he's totally in love with you! Do you know what I'd give to have a guy like Freddie Benson feel that way about me?"

I just looked at her. I didn't know what to say. "I mean he's a knight in shining armor, you know?" she continued. "My grandma always told me that knights will save any damsel in distress they see. That's because they're noble. But they only fall in love with one special lady. You're lucky because you get to be the one." She signed wistfully and turned her attention to her fish sticks.

I glanced at Sam, who was staring at Wendy like a little kid hearing about Santa Claus for the first time. "Wow," she whispered, "I never would have thought."

By the end of the day, I had been thoroughly convinced by everyone in school that Freddie was a hero—an amazing, wonderful, smart, handsome hero. It irritated me like a rash. I wasn't irritated by what people were saying. I knew they were all right. I was irritated because I seemed to be the only one who hadn't seen Freddie this way all along.

"Okay, so he's totally amazing," I said to myself as I waited for Spencer to arrive, "but there has to be a spark. Freddie and I don't have any spark, do we?" Then I remembered the dance.

I was daydreaming about dancing in Freddie's arms when Spencer arrived. I got into the car still drowning in my confusion. Spencer must have mistaken my expression for worry about Freddie (understandable in light of the fact that I had done nothing but worry about Freddie for four days). "Cheer up, kiddo!" he said with a huge grin. "Good news! Freddie's coming home!"

"What?" I shouted, "When?"

"Today! Mrs. Benson said he woke up around 11 last night," Spencer explained. "They've been doing tests and such since then. They finally decided to release him around 2:30 this afternoon. He'll be home as soon as they process his discharge."

"OMG! That's the best news ever!" I practically sang. I could feel the smile splitting my face. "I have to go see him as soon as they get home," I announced. Then, suddenly, I was unbelievably nervous. Another flashback of our dance hit me. _"Okay, so we had a spark that night, but that was just a one-time thing,"_ I told myself. A part of me, a big part, knew it was a lie, but I held on to that lie for some reason I couldn't identify.


	4. Homecoming

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 3 Homecoming

Carly sat on the edge of the couch in her living room, listening intently for sounds outside the door. She jumped at every little noise. When she finally heard voices in the hallway, she rushed to the door and pressed her ear to it. She heard the muffled voice of Mrs. Benson.

"We'll get you all settled in bed, and I'll make you some homemade chicken soup, sweetheart," she said in that panicky tone she got when Freddie's health was in question.

"Thanks, Mom, but I don't have a cold. I have broken bones. I don't think chicken soup cures that," he said with a soft chuckle.

_"It's SO good to hear his voice,"_ Carly thought as she sighed and leaned harder against the door.

"That may be, Freddie Bear," came Mrs. Benson's shrill voice. Carly smiled at the pet name. "But the vitamins and nutrients can't hurt."

"Okay, Mom," Freddie said. His voice sounded resigned. Carly pictured him rolling his eyes. She heard keys rattling then their door opening. "Just give me twenty minutes to settle in, and I'll be ready for soup," Freddie said, his voice fading as he entered the apartment.

"That's what Mommy likes to hear. Now if you'll just…" Mrs. Benson's voice was cut off by the sound of the apartment door shutting.

Carly turned and walked back to the couch. "Okay, twenty minutes. I can wait that long," she said to the empty room.

Freddie hopped awkwardly into his bedroom on his crutches. He still wasn't used to maneuvering them. He looked down at the red cast on his left leg. He remembered the feel of the truck smashing into his left side a split second after he had pushed Carly out of the truck's path and the agony he had felt as his bones cracked under the pressure. He had a vivid memory of seeing Carly fall to the ground a couple of feet in front of him with her arms still shielding her face. The relief he had felt knowing that she was safe had almost made him forget the excruciating pain in his leg and side.

He took a deep breath when he thought of Carly and winced as his badly bruised ribs sent a stabbing pain up and down the left side of his body. He pulled his shirt up and checked the wrapping underneath. It still looked secure. He lowered his shirt and carefully sat down on his bed, letting his crutches rest against the wall beside his bed.

He reached for an extra pillow to place under his broken leg. His wrist ached when he closed his right hand around the pillow and lifted it. The wrist was badly sprained, but not broken. He had landed on it when he fell on his face. That was also how he had gotten the cut above his right eye near his hairline.

Freddie was amazed by how clearly he remembered the details of the accident. It was like a video clip that played in his mind. He remembered rolling from his stomach to his left side to get his weight off his injured wrist. He remembered hearing Sam's scream. He remembered listening for Carly's scream, his momentary panic when her scream didn't come, and his immense relief when he finally heard her voice shrieking his name. Most of all, he savored the memory of being held in her arms and hearing her promise never to leave him alone again.

Freddie lay back against his pillows and elevated his injured leg. He stared at the ceiling and pictured Carly's tear-streaked face as she held him. He wondered how much time she had spent at the hospital the past few days. Visiting hours were over when he had regained consciousness the night before. He also knew she had to be at school today, so that explained why she hadn't been at the hospital today. He wondered if she would come to see him after school. He turned his head to look at his Galaxy Wars alarm clock.

_"It's 5:38,"_ he thought, _"She's home from school now. Wonder if she knows I'm home." _He turned his eyes back to the ceiling with a sigh. _"Patience, Freddie,"_ he told himself, _"You've only been home like twenty minutes."_

Freddie turned his head back to the clock. It read 5:39 in big red numbers. Freddie heard a knock at the front door. His heart beat a little faster, and his mouth felt suddenly dry. He heard his mother unlock the door. "Hello, Carly," he heard.

"Hi Mrs. Benson," came the reply. Her voice sounded like a choir of angels to Freddie's ears, and he released a breath he hadn't realized he held. "Is Freddie up for a visitor?"

_"Yes, God, yes!"_ Freddie thought. _"Tell her yes!"_

"Well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little company for a few minutes, dear," he heard his mother say. "I'm just making him some soup. Would you care for some?"

"No, thanks. Spencer made spaghetti tacos for dinner," Carly paused, "I guess I'll just go on in and see Freddie if that's okay."

A moment later she appeared in the doorway. Freddie's breath hitched as he caught his first glimpse of her since the accident. Her beautiful black hair hung loosely around her shoulders and caught the light as she moved. "Carly," he said barely above a whisper, "I…I'm glad you're okay."

She smiled at him, a genuine smile full of affection that warmed his heart. "Yeah, not a scratch on me thanks to you," she said as she stepped slowly into his room. She approached the foot of his bed and inched her way closer to him. "You saved my life."

She stopped by his feet. He longed for her to come closer and offered her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. Instead she just stayed where she was, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Her eyes came to rest on the bright red cast.

He tried to lighten the mood. "Guess I don't have to worry about finding a date to the Valentine dance after all, huh?" he said, injecting some fake cheer into his voice.

"What? Why?" Carly asked, her eyes jumping to meet his. She wanted to bite her tongue. Her voice sounded way to frantic just then. Why did she feel so disappointed that Freddie wouldn't be going to the dance?

"Well, isn't it obvious? I can't dance on those things," he said, gesturing toward his crutches leaning against the wall, "and I don't want to go and just sit on the sidelines all night. Talk about a jank time!"

"Yeah, I see your point," Carly said with a wry smile.

"Well I guess Sam was right," he said dryly, "I am going to spend the evening alone, but not for the reasons she predicted."

Carly felt a wave of sadness wash over her. "Actually, I was kinda thinking about not going either," she said quietly. _"Whoa! What the chiz? Where did that come from? Since when did I think I wasn't going?" _she thought. _"Since I thought Freddie was going to be in a coma," _she answered herself.

"Really?" Freddie asked. His voice sounded nonchalant, but the hopeful expression he wore belied his casual tone. "Why?"

"Well," Carly's mind raced, "No one has asked me yet, so I haven't even started shopping for a dress or anything. And the dance is only three weeks away now." She knew it wasn't a very good cover, but she hoped Freddie bought it.

Apparently he did. She saw his face fall. "Oh," was all he said.

Just then, Mrs. Benson appeared in the doorway holding a big tray. "Freddie," she said, "your soup's ready."

"I should probably go," Carly said as she stepped toward the door. "I can show myself out." She turned back toward Freddie when she reached the door. "I'm really glad you're home, Freddie," she said softly. He gave her a smile and a nod, and she slipped quietly out of the apartment.


	5. An Invitation

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 4 An Invitation

Carly walked through the main doors at Ridgeway feeling better than she had all week, but she was still glad it was Friday. She was looking forward to spending the weekend alone with Freddie while he recovered. He would be coming back to school on Monday, and she knew she wouldn't get much alone time with him at school with everyone eager to see and talk to him. Her visit with him the night before had been too brief, and it made her realize how much she missed him.

She was already making plans for the weekend. She knew Freddie would be spending time with his laptop today answering hundreds of "Get Well Soon" posts on the iCarly website and SplashFace. Lots of fans had left comments asking about him. They had missed a webcast while Freddie was in the hospital, and the fans had been expressing their concern and wishing him a speedy recovery. She really didn't think he would be able to answer every single post, and she didn't want him to spend the entire weekend focusing on that. _"I want him focused on me."_ The thought popped into her head out of nowhere it seemed. "Whoa! Didn't see that coming," she murmured to herself. She shook her head slowly in amazement at herself. Then another idea hit her. She glanced around to be sure no one was looking and pulled her Pearphone out of her backpack. She knew cell phones weren't allowed in school, but at that moment she didn't care. She dialed the number she knew by heart.

Freddie woke to the sound of his phone ringing on the bedside table. At first, he was very unhappy about being pulled out of the wonderful dream he had been having. Then, he realized he knew that ringtone. That was Carly calling! He quickly sat up and reached for the phone, almost sending the Galaxy Wars spaceship lamp to the floor. "Hello," he said eagerly.

"Hey, Freddie," Carly said with a nervous laugh. "What's up?"

_"My libido,"_ he thought as he flashed back to the dream he had been enjoying moments ago. "Uh, nothing. Nothing's up at all," he said, thinking what a lie that was as he stared at something very "up" between his legs. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"Oh, the usual," she said, keeping her voice casual. "I was just thinking about you."

Freddie's heart soared. "Yeah?" he asked with a huge grin on his face. "I was just thinking about you, too." He figured her thoughts hadn't been as carnal as his, but he was still elated to know she had been thinking of him.

"Yeah?" she asked. "What were you thinking?"

"Oh, you know," he stalled, "nothing in particular. Just wondering what you were up to and all." He was pretty sure that burning smell was, in fact, his pants. "What were _you_ thinking?"

"Uh, well, I was thinking about the website," she replied.

Freddie felt a pang of disappointment. "Oh, what about it?" he asked.

"Well, you know there have been tons of posts asking about you."

"Yeah."

"And I figure you probably want to answer them and let them know how you're doing and when we'll be back on air and everything."

"Yeah, I was planning to do some of that today. Probably tomorrow, too. It's going to take forever to answer them all."

"Well that's what I was thinking about. I think it would be cool if we make a video to post on the iCarly site sort of answering all the posts at once."

"Hmm…yeah. We could do something like that."

"Well, that way you could tell them all how you're doing and when we'll get back to doing iCarly and thank them all for their concern, and it won't take you all weekend to do it. I want you to myself for a while this weekend," she said. Her eyes went wide as she realized she had said that last part out loud _"Oh, chiz! Double chiz!"_ she thought.

"Well in that case, a video sounds perfect," he said smoothly. He was proud of himself for keeping his voice so calm when his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

"Okay, then. I just wanted to run it by you," Carly said quickly. She was sure she was about to die of embarrassment. "I have to get to class. Bye, Freddie."

She heard his goodbye as she ended the call and leaned her forehead against her locker. _"Pull it together, Shay!"_ she told herself sternly. She took a deep breath as the straightened and squared her shoulders. She composed her face as she turned to face another day at Ridgeway. Then she froze. Standing on the other side of the hall, staring directly at her, stood one of the most amazingly gorgeous guys she had ever seen.

Duncan Bower was a junior and a football star. He was a quarterback (or halfback or some kind of back—Carly really didn't know much about football). He was 6'1" and 185 pounds of solid muscle. He had golden blond hair that hung in loose curls to his square jawline. He somehow managed to keep a light golden tan despite the shortage of sun in Seattle. His smile revealed almost straight teeth encased in braces. A girl could overlook the braces, though. The dimples more than made up for that. His eyes, though, were the icing on the cake. With coloring like his, you would expect bright blue eyes with pale lashes and eyebrows. Duncan's eyes were the exact opposite. They were pools of molten chocolate surrounded by thick dark lashes accentuated by two perfectly shaped caramel-colored eyebrows. Carly glanced down at the copy of _The Iliad_ she held for World Lit. She was pretty sure Duncan had fallen from Mount Olympus and somehow landed in Seattle. He was, simply put, breathtaking.

He took a step toward her, and she felt her knees start to quiver. She didn't know why he would be coming her way. Insanely hot older guys like Duncan just didn't waste their time on girls in Carly's grade. She smiled as she watched him approach.

"Carly Shay," he said, giving her a sneak peek of his dazzling smile. His deep voice rumbled in his broad chest like thunder but was as smooth as warm butter.

She gulped. "Yeah, that's me," she managed to choke out. "How do you know my name?"

"My little sister watches your web show religiously," he replied. The smile hit her full force this time, dimples and all. "She showed it to me a couple of times. You're really funny."

Carly was thankful for the wall of lockers right behind her. She leaned weakly against them. "Oh, thanks," she said with her best smile, "but the show would be nothing without Sam and Freddie." She didn't understand it at all, but the mention of Freddie's name somehow stabilized her shaky knees. She found that she didn't need the support of the wall behind her. She was in no danger of fainting or otherwise humiliating herself in front of Duncan. Duncan's smile wasn't so blinding when it was eclipsed by the image of Freddie's in her mind. Odd!

"So anyway," Duncan said, bringing her attention back to him, "I was wondering whether you'd be interested in going to the Valentine's Day dance with me." His smile was confident, like he had no doubt she'd say yes. She found that rather off-putting. She didn't like feeling like a guy was doing her a favor by asking her out. She actually missed the way she felt when Freddie made his attempts at winning her affections. Freddie made her feel like she was so special he would risk anything for a chance with her—only her.

"Carly?" Duncan's voice penetrated her thoughts. "What do you say?" He fixed her with his stare, and she almost lost herself in those incredible eyes. What was it about his eyes? They were almost the same shade as Freddie's, but Freddie's were a bit darker and softer.

She shook herself back to the present. Duncan had asked her a question. What was it? Oh, right. The dance. She had to think quickly. On one hand she didn't feel that special when Duncan asked her out. On the other hand, she considered the fact that, out of dozens of girls he could have, he asked her. Maybe _that_ made her special. "Uhm…would it be all right if I think about it and get back to you, Duncan?" she asked.

He looked surprised by her answer, but he covered it quickly. Carly caught it, though. "Sure, Carly," he said smoothly. "I'll get back with you one day next week." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, giving her a soft smile. She felt her skin tingle where his fingertips brushed it. With that, he turned and left.

Carly felt the need for the wall again as she watched the bulldog on the back of his letter jacket fading into the crowd. Her head was spinning. She looked to her right and saw a group of girls pointing and whispering. Their eyes were wide, and most of their mouths were hanging open. One of them—Carly thought her name was Amber—approached and timidly asked, "Wasn't that Duncan Bower?"

"Yeah," she replied in a daze.

"What was he talking to you about? And why did he touch you like that?"

"He was asking me to the Valentine's Day dance, and I don't know why he touched me," Carly replied in irritation.

Amber gasped. "Really?" she said as her hand covered her mouth. "You're going to the dance with Duncan Bower? OMG!"

"I didn't say I was going with him," Carly snapped. "I just said he asked me."

"B-but…y-you," she stammered, "you mean you said 'NO'?"

"No, I said I'd think about it," Carly replied, growing tired of the girl's questions.

"OMG! But…" Amber began again.

Carly cut her off. "I have to get to class," she said and turned her back on the girl. Her thoughts were swirling like a tornado in her head. "Oh man, what am I going to do?" she wondered aloud. She noticed that she had been asking herself that question a lot lately.


	6. A Date with Pie

**AN: Many thanks to all of you who have submitted reviews for this story. To answer your questions: **

**1. Of course Freddie will be okay. You can't have any good CREDDIE love without Freddie alive and well! (Sorry I didn't answer you sooner. I just realized where I was supposed to put the author's notes. I'm new to all this!)  
**

**2. Shakespeare wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth." (_A Midsummer Night's Dream_) We have to have some twists and turns. That's what Duncan is--a big twist. Don't worry, though. I wasn't lying when I said this was a CREDDIE fic. **

**You guys are awesome for adding this story to your favorites and setting update alerts! I hope you will keep reading as this story unfolds, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!**

**Now, on with the story!**

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 5 A Date with Pie

Carly stepped into Gallini's Pie Shop early Saturday morning. She turned around and held the door for Sam. "I don't know why you insisted on dragging me out of bed so early on a Saturday," Sam grumbled as the she followed Carly to the counter. "It's just lucky you offered me a date with my true love. Otherwise, I'd still be off in dream land."

The girls each ordered a slice of coconut cream pie, and Carly paid. "Ah, here's my beloved!" Sam cooed as Mario handed her the plate. Sam followed Carly to a table by the window and lost herself in coconut cream bliss for a few moments.

Carly watched an old woman pull a ball of brown fuzz on a string by the window. The fuzz had four tiny feet. "I guess that's her idea of a dog," Carly mused.

"What?" Sam asked, looking out the window to see what had Carly so mesmerized.

"Nothing," Carly replied with none of her usual spirit. She wanted to tell Sam what had been going on in her head lately, but she didn't know where to begin.

"So what's this about, Carls?" Sam asked. Her joking tone was gone. She was all business. "I know you've got something on your mind, so spill."

"I don't know where to start," Carly said. Her voice held a tiny hint of despair.

"The beginning usually works," Sam said dryly.

"Right," Carly said, "Okay. You remember the girls' choice dance?" Sam nodded. Carly went on, "Well after the dance, Freddie and I went to the Groovy Smoothie with our dates. They annoyed us about as much as two people can _possibly be_ annoyed. So anyway, Malika poofed herself home…"

At this, Sam raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"She went poof," Carly waived her arms in the air to mimic the smoke, "and she was gone."

"Uh-huh," Sam said with a skeptical look on her face.

"Beside the point," Carly said. "Anyway, Austin kept having his verbal diarrhea, and I got sick of it. So I shrieked at him to get out. He ran like a scared kitten." Carly chuckled at the memory.

Sam smiled. She knew where this was leading. "So then what?" she asked innocently.

"Well then this romantic song came on the radio, and Freddie got up and asked me to dance." Carly waited for Sam's reaction. When none came, she continued. "He said we deserved one nice dance with someone we didn't want to kill. So I danced with him. It started out all proper, arm's length and everything, but it wasn't long before I was resting my head on his shoulder with him holding me tight." Carly stopped and braced herself for the fallout of the bomb she was sure she had just detonated.

Sam simply said, "Okay, so tell me something I don't already know."

"What?" Carly asked in shock. "How could you possibly know about that?"

"Gibby had some chick at his house when I went to drag him to the dance. So when I left his place, I went to the Groovy Smoothie. I opened the door and saw you all snuggled up to Freddie. I didn't want to ruin your moment, so I left."

"What? I can't believe you saw that and didn't say anything!" Carly said with a smile.

"Well, I figured Freddie wouldn't get another moment like that, so I might as well let him enjoy it. Plus the sight kinda made me wanna puke like I was on Persian chocolate," Sam laughed. "So what part of this is supposed to be the big revelation?" she asked.

"Well, the revelation is this," Carly said, leaning forward and lowering her voice. "When I danced with Freddie, I liked it. I mean I _really_ liked it." Sam offered no response, so Carly went on, "I felt safe, and happy, and…just…right." She paused before adding, "And I felt really attracted to him. Can you believe that? Freddie turned me on!"

"Ho-ly chiz!" Sam said then whistled. "That's a load to drop on me, Carls!"

"So you think I'm crazy?" Carly asked, lowering her eyes to her half-eaten slice of pie.

"Nah, love is blind, dude," Sam said with a shrug. "And even though tormenting Freddie is one of my favorite pastimes, he really isn't all that terrible. Most of what I tease him about is his mother's doing, anyway. The teasing is just the nature of our friendship. It's how we function, or _dys_function, whatevs. Besides, it doesn't matter what I think. It's what you think that's important. Find someone who treats you right and makes you happy. Forget what everyone else says!" Sam concluded and filled her mouth with another huge bite of pie.

"Wow, Sam! I never knew you had such wisdom," Carly said seriously.

Sam smiled, "Yeah, well, my mom gets real philosophical when she's hammered on vodka."

Carly laughed with her. "It's just that, ever since that dance, I've been so confused."

"About what?" Sam asked through her mouthful of pie.

"Well, I know Freddie loves me more than anything, and I know I felt a spark that night," Carly sighed. "I always knew he was a wonderful person, too, but I don't think I really knew just _how_ amazing he is until the accident." Sam looked confused at this, and Carly related all the stories she had heard about Freddie over the past week. She concluded with, "And of course you remember what Wendy told us at lunch on Thursday."

"Yeah," said Sam with a lift of her brows, "I guess we haven't been giving him enough credit."

"I know, and I feel bad about that," Carly sighed, "but how were we supposed to know all of that? Anyway," she went on, "when we were dancing, I definitely felt a spark. I just don't know if I could feel it again or if it was just a one-time thing." Carly poked another small bite of pie in her mouth and turned back toward the window.

"You'll never know unless you try," Sam said simply.

"There you go with that wisdom again," Carly said, smiling. "Remind me to have Spencer buy your mom a bottle of vodka for her birthday."

Sam laughed, "Probably not the best idea, Carls. She doesn't need an enabler." Carly joined in Sam's laughter. Sam added, "Besides, that little nugget came straight from this babe's mouth."

As Carly left the pie shop, Sam's words echoed in her mind. _"You'll never know unless you try."_ She watched the concrete disappearing under her feet. _"Okay, that settles it,"_ she thought. She looked up, determination etched on her face. _"I'm gonna try!"_


	7. Alone Together

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 6 Alone Together

Later that morning, Carly stood outside the Benson's door holding a white cardboard box. She was about to knock when Mrs. Benson appeared with a smile on her face. "Good morning, Carly. You're right on time. I was just leaving for work."

"Morning, Mrs. Benson," Carly said politely. "I brought Freddie some pie," she said, lifting the box in her hands.

"Oh, okay, dear. Just don't let him eat too much," Mrs. Benson said with concern on her face. "His tummy gets sick when he eats too much sugar."

"MOM!" came Freddie's voice from the hallway.

"Right," Mrs. Benson said. "Well, I have to get going. I'll be working over tonight. I'll be home at exactly 10:47p.m. Ready to synchronize watches?" When she saw that Carly wasn't wearing a watch, she sighed, "Oh, well, there's a clock in Freddie's room and one in the kitchen. All our time pieces are in sync." She looked around the apartment one last time. "The first aid kid is in the hall closet. The phone numbers for the hospital, all our doctors, my office, cell, and pager, and the church are posted by every phone."

"The church?" Carly asked with a lift of her brows.

"Of course, dear. Spiritual health is just as important as physical health." Mrs. Benson said slowly as though she were talking to a six year old.

"Right," Carly said as she stepped farther into the apartment. "Of course."

"Well goodbye, dear. Have a great day. BYE FREDDIE! MOMMY LOVES YOU!" she called as she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Carly set the pie on the kitchen counter and glanced at the phone on the wall. All the numbers were there, including the one for the church right on top. _"Wow, she wasn't kidding,"_ Carly thought. _"Where's the one for the psychiatrist? She needs to worry more about her mental health!"_ She shrugged it off and headed toward Freddie's room. She had taken only a step or two when she heard him.

"Hey Carly?"

"Yeah?" She kept walking.

"Did I hear you say you brought pie?"

"Yeah." By that time, she had reached his door.

"Could I ask you to bring me some, please?" The eager expression he wore instantly won Carly over.

"Sure," she laughed, "but just a small piece. We don't want your tummy to be sick."

"Aw, come on, Carly!" Freddie whined.

Carly disappeared out the door, but her laughter floated back to him. He heard her rummaging through cabinets and clinking dishes. Soon she reappeared in his doorway carrying two plates. She approached and offered him one. His eyes bulged as he saw the enormous slice of pie she had brought him. It nearly covered the plate!

"You call that a small piece?" Freddie asked.

"No," Carly said with a mischievous smile as she sat carefully on the edge of his bed. She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "but that will be our little secret."

Freddie smiled at her as he plunged his fork into the pie. Carly watched him, thinking how beautiful his smile was. Perfect. Without braces.

They ate their pie in comfortable silence. Carly watched Freddie out of the corner of her eye. She noticed he was wearing a red silk pajama top. _"He looks great in red,"_ she thought. From there, her thoughts went crazy. _"Lucky his cast is red since he looks so good in it. What the?"_ She shook her head to clear it. Freddie noticed, but she covered by tossing her hair back over her shoulder. _"I bet it's hard to shower with that cast. Mmm…Freddie in the shower! No, bad Carly!"_ She looked up to Freddie's face. _"His hair is dripping wet. He must have just come from the shower."_ She noticed a drop of water fall from his hair. She watched it slowly make its way down his temple then over his cheek. She felt a sudden urge to lean down and lick it off. Instead, she scooped another fork full of pie into her mouth while her mind was filled with images of water running all over Freddie's naked body. She pictured him standing underneath the spray, the wet sheen accentuating the contours of his body as the water caressed him from his shoulders down his back to his firm butt and over his broad chest down his flat stomach and beyond.

Freddie saw Carly staring at him with a faraway look in her eyes. He felt a stirring below the waist when the tip of her tongue slipped out and slowly traced her top lip. "Carly?" he said breathlessly.

She was shaken out of her daydream, "Huh? What?" she asked, blinking several times.

"Where were you just now? What were you thinking?" he asked, hoping the answer involved him.

"Oh, n-nothing," Carly stammered, "just thinking about that video we need to shoot." Carly was amazed by how good she was getting at lying.

Freddie could think of a dozen videos he would like to shoot with her, but he knew none of those were on the agenda for today. "Ok, boss, but let's finish the pie first," he said and winked at her.

When they had all but licked the plates, Carly reached out and took Freddie's plate from him. She felt a jolt when his fingers brushed hers, and it scared her a little. "Uhm, I'll just go rinse these," she said, jumping up nervously.

"Before you do that," Freddie said quickly, "could I ask a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

His cheeks turned pink. "I really need to pee."

"Wh-what?"

"Could you help me get to the bathroom?" His face went from pink to red.

"Uhm…"

"I don't need help _in_ the bathroom, Carly," Freddie said with a heavy sigh. "There's plenty of stuff I can use for support in there. I just need a little assistance getting _to_ the bathroom."

"Oh," Carly said, embarrassment coloring her features, "okay. Well what do you need me to do?"

"Come over here," Freddie said as he sat up and scooted to the edge of his bed. "Sit by me and let me put my arm over your shoulders."

Carly did as he said. She sat close by his left side, careful of his injured leg. He slipped his arm around her, and she slid hers around his back. "Okay," he said, "on three. One. Two. Three." They stood together and slowly made their way over to the bathroom. Freddie released Carly's shoulders and took hold of the door frame. "Thanks," he said as he hopped inside and shut the door.

Carly waited by the door. She heard the toilet flush and then the faucet running. _"At least he washes his hands,"_ she thought, smiling to herself.

The door opened. "All better?" she asked as she turned to face him. She stepped toward him to take up her role as a human crutch. They took their first awkward step when his shirt somehow caught on the door handle. The next thing Carly knew, they were falling onto the bathroom floor. Freddie was on his back with Carly on top of him, and her right hand was in the toilet. As soon as she realized what that cold, wet feeling was, she started shrieking.

"Carly!" Freddie shouted, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Ew!" she moaned. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and she was facing away from the hand she held over the toilet—as far away from her body as possible. "Ew! My hand…toilet! Ew, Freddie! Ew, ew, ew!"

Freddie's laughter caught her off guard. She opened one eye, then the other, and looked at him. "Freddie! It's not funny!" she said indignantly. "What if I get an infection and my arm falls off or something?"

"You're not going to get an infection, Carly," Freddie said, trying to hold back his laughter. "You know what a germ freak my mom is. We have double-strength chlorine tablets in the toilets. The chlorine kills the germs."

That calmed her a little, but she was still upset. Freddie quickly added, "And look, there's antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer on the sink. Wash your hands with hot water. There's also some rubbing alcohol in the medicine cabinet. You can totally disinfect your arm. You'll be fine." He was still shaking with the laughter he was holding back as she climbed off him.

He sat on the floor watching her nearly scrub her skin off. When she was satisfied that she wouldn't get gangrene, she turned back to him. "Okay, so how are we going to get you off that floor?"

It took some effort, but they finally managed to get Freddie back to bed. Carly picked the plates up from the bedside table. "Back in a few," she said, smiling at him as she turned to leave.

When she reappeared in the doorway, he said, "So how has school been this week anyway?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," she said as she took a step into the room. "Except for the buzz about you." He raised his eyebrows in question. She added, "Everyone at school is saying you're a hero."

"I don't feel like a hero," he said as he watched her get closer.

"Why not?" she asked softly as she reclaimed her place on the edge of his bed. "You saved me."

"Maybe," he replied, "but I was just doing what I had to. I couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt—or worse. I couldn't live with myself if I had let you get hurt. I love you too much, Carly. I'm no hero." He watched her eyes while he spoke and saw them start to shine with unshed tears.

"_This is it, Carly!"_ she told herself. _"Now or never!"_ She swallowed hard. "You are one…to me," she said as she slowly leaned toward him.

He couldn't take his eyes off hers as she came closer. She reached across him and placed her left hand beside his head. He could hear her bracelets clink together by his ear, but it sounded a million miles away. He was lost in her eyes. His heart was racing, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. _"This is it,"_ he thought, _"Carly Shay is going to kiss me!" _

He tried to stay calm as she brought her lips down to meet his. He had been waiting for this for so many years! He didn't want to do anything to make her change her mind. She got close enough he could feel her breath on his face. It smelled of coconut cream pie. He instinctively wet his lips as his eyes fluttered and closed.

It felt like an eternity passed before her lips finally touched his. It was just the barest brush of lips, barely a kiss at all. He slowly opened his eyes. She had pulled back slightly and was gazing intently at him. His heart—and the rest of his body—ached for her to continue. "Carly," he breathed. He heard the plea in his voice and knew his face showed it, too, but he didn't care. He was desperate to feel her lips on his again.

Then he did. In an instant she pressed her lips fully against his. His blood roared like the ocean in his ears. He whimpered as she started to run her fingers through his hair. He was embarrassed for a moment, but when Carly answered him with a similar sound, he felt a surge of confidence. He ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair to the back of her neck and pulled her down to him, deepening the kiss.

Carly moaned as Freddie's fingers sent tingles from her scalp all the way down her spine. She let him pull her closer, and then she felt the tip of his tongue brush the center of her upper lip. She knew what he wanted, and she gladly gave it to him. She parted her lips for him. When his tongue swept between them, she caressed it with the tip of hers. Freddie moaned loudly at the unexpected contact, and his right arm suddenly clenched Carly by the waist, pulling her tightly against him. She let her upper body rest on his chest as they continued to explore each other's mouths. She kissed his top then bottom lip, traced them both with her tongue, and softly licked the corners of his mouth. Each new technique elicited gasps and groans from Freddie, and he used all the same tricks on her.

Carly moved her lips to Freddie's jaw and traced the line up to his earlobe. She gently tugged on it with her teeth then soothed it with her tongue. She could feel Freddie's heavy breathing on her neck, and she was amazed by how good it felt. She stretched her neck in invitation.

He hesitated only a moment before pressing his lips to her throat. She moaned in appreciation, and Freddie became more daring. He reached up and pulled her collar aside, exposing the hollow above her collarbone. He traced the bone with his tongue then lightly pressed his teeth into her flesh.

"Ahh, Freddie!" she called out in pleasure. Her hand started to roam his chest. She unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand inside. She felt his warm, soft skin and the contours of his muscles. Her mouth made its way slowly down his neck to his chest. He was moaning her name over and over. She daringly flicked her tongue over his right nipple. He jerked and cried out her name, but his tone was clearly one of pleasure. She was consumed by the heat between them. This wasn't just a spark. This was a raging fire! She wanted more.

As her mouth continued its assault on Freddie's nipple, her hand wandered down his stomach. She felt his silk pajama pants as she crossed the line of his waist, but she didn't stop there. She continued down until her hand bumped into his manhood, which was standing erect. Freddie quivered as she brushed her fingertips from the base to the tip and down the other side. Then she closed her fist around him and pumped one time.

"God! Carly!" Freddie screamed. He was thankful she was touching him through his pajamas and boxers just then; otherwise, he was sure he would have embarrassed himself. She paused when he cried out, afraid she had hurt him. "Don't stop," he pleaded. She gave him a wicked smile and slid her fist along his length again.

Just then, a loud knock sounded at the door. "Hey kids," came Spencer's voice.

Carly jumped away from Freddie like she had been burned. "Oh holy chiz!" she said, wide-eyed. "What's he doing here?" She smoothed her hair and straightened her clothes as she ran for the door.

Freddie quickly did up his shirt. He looked down at the monument to Carly still standing in his lap. _"That won't do,"_ he thought as he looked around the room.

Carly opened the door to see Spencer standing there with a big plate full of spaghetti tacos. "Hey, Spencer," she said nervously. She was afraid he would see right through her and know what she had just been doing. She figured she might as well have it written on her face.

"Hey kiddo," he grinned, apparently oblivious to the discomfort his sister felt. "I thought you guys might be getting hungry, so I made us all some lunch. Where's Fred-man?" he asked as he headed for the hallway.

"He's in his room, b-but he's…" Carly said as she followed Spencer down the hall trying to divert him from Freddie's door. She failed miserably.

"He's what?" Spencer asked as they both entered Freddie's room. "Hey Freddo!" Spencer greeted.

"He's busy," Carly offered lamely as she observed the pillow in Freddie's lap with his laptop open on it.

"Hey Spence!" Freddie smiled. "What's up?"

"Brought sustenance! You two can't survive on pie alone, even if it is the best in the world," Spencer said as he set the platter down on Freddie's bedside table. "Whatcha workin' on, there, bro?"

"Oh, just reading some of the comments the fans have posted. Carly and I were thinking about making a video to update them all," Freddie replied casually.

"Yeah, sounds good," Spencer agreed. "You wanna come up to the studio, or should I bring you your camera?"

"I'll come up," Freddie said after a moment's pause. "It'll do me some good to get out of this room for a while."

"Okie dokie," Spencer said cheerfully. "Then why don't I just take the tacos back to our place, and we can all eat over there with a real table and everything?" He jumped up, grabbed the platter, and disappeared.

"That was a close one," Carly said after they heard the door slam. Freddie nodded in agreement. "Well, I guess I'll let you get dressed, or do you need help?" Carly suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of having to help Freddie change clothes.

"If you'll just hand me that sweatshirt over there and my crutches, I'll be good," he answered.

Carly gave him the sweatshirt and watched as he removed the red silk pajama top. Her mouth went dry when she saw Freddie with no shirt. The show was over much too soon, though, as he pulled the sweatshirt over his head. He took his crutches from her and followed her out of the room.


	8. So Much for Promises

**AN: I may be a bit slower to update for a while. I was home sick the past two days, so I had nothing to do but write. I'm back at work now, and I have a house guest, too. That means a lot less time to write, but I will still be hatching ideas in the meantime.**

**Much love to all those who reviewed and/or favorited this story. You're awesome! As your reward, here's the next installment of "iOwe You My Life." **

**Please see author's note at the end!**

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 7 So Much for Promises

Carly stared down at the display screen of the camera she held. Through it, she watched Freddie assure all the iCarly fans that he was on the road to recovery and that iCarly would be up and running again soon. Carly stopped the recording when Freddie gave her the signal. He stood from where he had been sitting on the door of the car and reached for his crutches by the wall. Carly looked up at him with a smile. "That was great," she said. "You really are a natural in front of the camera when you just relax."

"Thanks," he said, "but I'll never be as funny as you and Sam."

"You could be funny with some practice," Carly said trying to encourage him. He just looked at her with one eyebrow cocked. "Well, who says everyone has to be funny, anyway?" she asked as she carried the camera back to the tech cart.

"Nobody," Freddie offered, "but when people tune in to a comedy show, they usually like to see comedians." When she didn't answer, he went on, "Anyway, I'll just edit this video sometime tomorrow and get it up on the site. That should keep our viewers happy for a little while."

"Hope so," Carly agreed.

"Say, would it be okay if I work on some tech stuff in here the night of the Valentine dance?" Freddie asked.

"Uhm, sure," Carly answered. "Spencer won't be home, though. He's skipping town for Valentine's Day." Freddie gave her a curious look. "Avoiding Trudy," she offered.

"Ah," was all he said. He hobbled over to the cart and reached for the camera she was still holding. Their hands touched, and they almost pulled back out of habit. Instead, Freddie placed the camera on the cart then laced his fingers through hers and squeezed gently.

"Carly," he whispered.

Her eyes locked with his. "Yeah?" she asked, her voice slightly shaking.

"Was it real?" he asked. Hope and love and need mixed on his face, turning his expression into one that made Carly's heart ache. She couldn't find words at first, and he thought she didn't understand his meaning. "In my room," he added, "the kiss and…everything. Was it real, or was it just gratitude or something?" He hoped for the best but braced himself for the worst.

Carly was drowning in his warm brown eyes as she considered his question. _"Was it just gratitude? No, gratitude might be strong enough to get him that first tiny kiss, but it wouldn't have pulled me down to him the second time. Gratitude couldn't light a fire like that in my blood."_

Carly recalled everything she had heard the past week about Freddie and what she already knew of his character._ "Gratitude doesn't affect how amazing Freddie is."_

Then she remembered how she felt when Duncan flirted with her—how thoughts of Freddie had made Duncan's charms seem so much weaker._ "Gratitude wouldn't have kept Freddie's face in my mind while Duncan was trying to work his charm on me." _Then Carly realized just what that last thought really meant. _"Other guys don't pale in comparison to Freddie just because I'm _grateful_ to him! That happens because I _love_ him!"_

"Oh, god, Freddie," Carly whispered, her eyes wide.

Freddie misread her reaction. "That's what I was afraid of," he said sadly, withdrawing his hand from hers. He took a step back and fixed his eyes on the floor.

"Wait, Freddie!" Carly pleaded, "Let me explain!" She had to make him understand what she was feeling. She needed to make him see how much she loved him and how she _knew_ it was real.

Freddie was standing by the elevator door now with his hand over the button. "I'm not sure there's anything to say, Carly," he whispered.

"Y-yes, there is!" she persisted. "See I had been hearing all these stories about you from kids at school. About how nice you are and stuff. I was starting to think maybe there was a side of you I hadn't seen before."

Freddie just listened. He wasn't sure whether this was good news or bad. He figured at this point, it could go either way.

Carly continued, "Then on Friday, Duncan asked me to the Valentine dance."

Freddie felt a knife—a cold, rusty, jagged knife—rip through his heart. "Duncan Bower?" he asked, his voice barely audible. _"So much for her promise not to leave you alone, eh Benson?"_ he thought. _"You're a fool to think she'd skip the dance to be with you, especially with a trophy buck like Bower nosing around."_

"Right," Carly said excitedly. She was about to pull the ace out of her sleeve. "Well, you know how all the girls think he's so hot and all." The damage to Freddie's heart just got worse as she went on. "Well he was really pouring on the charm, and I thought about you, and…"

"Stop it, Carly!" Freddie said firmly.

"But, Freddie," she argued.

"I SAID STOP IT!" he shouted.

Carly's jaw fell, but she remained quiet. She was totally shocked. He had never shouted at her like that before.

Freddie took a deep breath and faced her. "Look," he said sternly, "I'm in love with you. We both know that. What happened in my room today…well, that was the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced. I was starting to hope—I mean _really_ hope—that things had changed between us." He took a deep breath and soldiered on. "It hurts like hell to have that taken away from me again, especially after getting so close," Freddie paused as the tears started to fall from his eyes. "I can't do this anymore."

"But, Freddie, I…" Carly tried.

"No, Carly," he said, holding up his hand to silence her. "Don't, okay? Just don't." He offered her a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Go to the dance with Duncan," he said in a softer tone. "Have fun. You know I want you to be happy, no matter what it costs me. I've finally realized that you're never going to love me the way I want you to, and I think I'm just hurting us both by holding on this way. I'm still your best friend. I still love you, but I love you enough to let you go."

Carly could see the light reflecting off his tear-streaked face as he called up the elevator. She turned away like the coward she knew she was. She wasn't strong enough to watch him walk away from her, and she definitely wasn't brave enough to follow him. She heard his crutches thumping on the floor and the elevator closing. She stood motionless in the studio until she no longer heard any sounds indicating his presence in the apartment. Then she fell to her knees and cried like she had never cried before.

**AN: Hold on! Don't grab the torches and pitchforks just yet! You'll notice this story is classified as Romance/Angst. Well, here's where the angst part comes in. Don't worry, though. I believe in happily ever after! There's more Creddie love to come! :)**


	9. A Hero's Welcome

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 8 A Hero's Welcome

Freddie maneuvered his crutches through the crowded halls of Ridgeway as best he could. Luckily, everyone was being very helpful. Freddie knew a lot of people were clamoring for his attention just because they thought it would earn them a few popularity points, but he wasn't going to argue if someone wanted to hold those heavy double doors open for him right now. He always made sure to smile and thank whoever helped him out, even if he did doubt their motives.

"Hey, Fred-man!" Gibby called as he approached. "Glad to see ya back!"

"Thanks, Gibby," Freddie smiled. "It's actually pretty great to be here."

"So what's it like?" Gibby asked.

"What's what like?"

"You know, the celebrity status, the hero's welcome, all that," Gibby said with a smirk.

"Oh," Freddie said with a nod, "well everyone is being really nice and helpful. I definitely appreciate that. People keep asking to hear about the accident, which is kinda getting old. Everyone wants to know how long I'll be in this cast and stuff." Freddie shook his head, "I think I might be better off posting my medical chart on the school website." Then he added with a shrug, "On the other hand, it's nice to know that people are concerned about me."

"Yeah, we definitely are," Gibby nodded.

"And feeling like people are actually _glad_ to see me is nice for a change," Freddie joked.

"Aw, dude," Gibby said, "most of us were always glad to have you around. Well see ya!"

As Freddie watched Gibby hurry off to class, he noticed Sam standing by her locker. "Hey, Sam," he said when he reached her.

"Hey," she said, "what's up?"

"Just getting used to being back," Freddie replied casually.

"Dude, you were only gone a week," Sam answered, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but things seem different," Freddie said thoughtfully.

Carly approached from behind Freddie and stood just out of his sight. Freddie blocked Sam's view of her, so she had a safe place to listen. She told herself she wasn't eavesdropping. She just didn't want to interrupt their conversation. She purposefully ignored the anxiety she felt at the thought of facing Freddie again.

"That's because you're the object of half the school's hero worship," Sam smirked. "Don't worry, though, it probably won't last long. Never does."

"Yeah, you're right," he nodded, "and besides, it really isn't even about me."

Sam's eyebrows drew together. "How do you figure that?" she asked.

"Well," Freddie said thoughtfully, "a lot of these kids hardly ever talked to me before the accident. Now they're climbing over each other to get to me. I just think it has less to do with _me_ than with the fact that _everyone else_ is talking about me."

Carly was impressed by his insight, but Sam didn't quite follow his logic. Freddie tried again, "I mean it's like a lot of them care less about talking to me than about other people _seeing_ them talk to me."

"I think I get what you're saying," Sam said, nodding slowly.

"It's not like there's anything special about me," Freddie continued. "I think if a dog had pushed Carly out of the way," he added with a smirk, "they'd all be fighting for the chance to walk it and scoop its poop."

Carly smiled to herself at Freddie's self-deprecating humor. She wished she had the courage to speak up and tell him that, no matter what anyone else thought, he was special to _her_.

"Well, cheer up," Sam chuckled. "You're slightly less disgusting than dog poop."

"Whoa!" said Freddie, doing an exaggerated double take. "Was that a compliment?"

"Of course not," Sam scoffed. "It just wasn't a full-fledged insult."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Sam?" Freddie joked.

"Listen," she said seriously, "all joking aside, I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there to save Carly. I was closer to her, but I was too scared to do anything. I didn't react fast enough, I guess, and…well…it's just really lucky you were there."

"So does this mean you're not going to torture me anymore?" Freddie said with a sly grin.

"Uh, no," Sam said, returning the smile. "I'm still gonna torture you. I'm just gonna wait until you're all mended."

"How generous of you," Freddie deadpanned.

"Yeah, well, I don't feel right about beating up a guy on crutches," Sam shrugged. "It cheapens the experience somehow."

"Yeah, okay," Freddie chuckled. "Come on, Ms. Briggs will kill us if we're late."

Carly ducked behind the corner as Freddie started to turn toward her. They passed her without noticing her at all. As she watched them go, she replayed their conversation in her head. _"It's amazing how humble he is about this whole thing,"_ she thought. _"He isn't letting any of it go to his head. I don't know anyone else who would be so mature."_ Carly couldn't believe what a fool she had been. She'd had the most amazing guy she could have asked for in the palm of her hand, but she had let him slip through her fingers. She felt a scalding tear slip down her cheek as the bell drowned out her sob. She sent up a silent prayer that someday she would get another chance to prove her love to him.


	10. Rain and Resolutions

**AN: Yes, Carly just needs to suck it up and go get her man, but things are never that easy when you're scared of getting hurt. Let's hope Carly finds the courage to take that risk. Freddie's love is worth it!**

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 9 Rain and Resolutions

Tuesday morning brought a sky full of menacing clouds and lightning. Carly woke to the sound of thunder rattling her window. She slowly opened her eyes and peeked through the tangled black locks covering her face at the clock beside her bed. The harsh red numbers read 6:28am. Carly buried her nose back in her pillow and hoped the next two minutes would last indefinitely.

Her hopes were dashed when the alarm started screeching in her ear. Without raising her head, she reached out and slapped the clock with practiced aim. The screeching stopped, and Carly sighed heavily. She rolled onto her back and stared out the window. The rain started to fall, softly at first, then a roaring downpour. The world outside blurred and disappeared as water covered the glass, and Carly wished she could cry away her pain that way—just pour out the emotions and the tears until the hurt disappeared.

She heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. Spencer's muffled voice reached her. "Hey kiddo," he called, "up and at 'em!"

"I'm up," Carly groaned as she dragged herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. She paused to wrap herself in her bathrobe before opening the door. Spencer was already gone, but she heard dishes rattling downstairs. She rubbed her eyes and made her way to the bathroom.

Spencer looked up as Carly came down the stairs. She was dressed for school, but her hair was still dripping wet. _"That's not like her,"_ he thought. _"She hasn't been herself the past few days. What up with that?"_

"Mornin' sunshine!" he greeted as she took a seat at the table.

"Morning Spencer," she replied dully.

Spencer noticed the lack of her characteristic spunk. "You feeling okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah," was all she said.

"_There's something she's not telling me,"_ he thought as he watched her. _"I'm sure it has something to do with the way Freddie ran out of here Saturday night. You would've thought Sam was chasing him with her baseball bat."_

Carly looked up and saw Spencer watching her. He had his head cocked to the right, lips pursed, and one eyebrow nearly touched his hairline. Carly knew that look. That was his "I'm not buying your B.S." look.

"So what's for breakfast?" she asked enthusiastically, trying to get his attention off her mood.

"A super special treat!" he replied, turning to collect two bowls from the counter. He set one down in front of her with a flourish. "Oatmeal a la Spencer," he announced proudly.

Carly lifted a spoonful to her mouth. "Isn't this the instant blueberry oatmeal we bought last week?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Well, yeah," Spencer said with a huge grin, "but I boiled the water with the automatic water boiler I built yesterday!"

"Automatic water boiler?"

"I converted my fish feeder," he said proudly. "I figured since you won't let me have another fish, I should put it to more practical use. Instead of dumping fish flakes, it lights a flame under a pot of water now."

"That makes sense, I guess," Carly replied, making a mental note to make sure their fire insurance was paid. She turned her attention to the last few bites of oatmeal in her bowl.

"So," Spencer said softly, "I guess Freddie must be doing a lot better."

"Uhm, yeah, I guess," Carly replied, casting Spencer a sidelong glance. "He was back at school yesterday."

"What I meant was you haven't been over to see him since Saturday," Spencer said thoughtfully. "You were by his side constantly while he was in the hospital. I mean, the accident happened fairly early Monday morning, and you didn't leave him until visiting hours ended."

"Well," Carly said defensively, "we were out of school for MLK day, so I really didn't have anywhere else to be."

"True," Spencer nodded, "but you also went to see him as soon as you got out of school Tuesday and Wednesday, and you wouldn't leave until the nurses kicked you out."

Carly didn't have an answer for that. She sat quietly as Spencer went on, "and you went to see him as soon as he got home Thursday. You only missed seeing him Friday because we had to go to Yakima to see grandpa, and you tried to get out of that. Then you spent practically all day with him on Saturday."

"So?" Carly asked sullenly.

"Well," Spencer said, "it just seems odd that you would stop going to see him all of a sudden like that. You must not be worried about him anymore." Spencer studied his little sister's face and saw the tears welling up in her eyes. "Unless there's some other reason for you to avoid him?" he let the leading question hang between them.

A single tear escaped Carly's eye as she looked up at her brother. "Oh, Spencer," she whispered brokenly, "I've made such a mess of things."

"What happened, baby sister?" Spencer asked with so much compassion in his voice that Carly's walls crumbled. Her tears poured like the rain outside.

"I've b-been developing f-feelings for F-Freddie," she choked out between sobs. "I-I was just s-so conf-fused…" her voice broke, and she hid her face in her hands.

Spencer moved to crouch beside her, placing a hand gently on her back. "It's okay, Carly," he said soothingly. "Just let it out. Take your time." She turned toward him and buried her face in the crook of his neck as her sobs turned into wails. He hugged her fiercely and rubbed a comforting circle between her shoulder blades as she poured out her pain.

When her cries had softened to quiet hiccups, she pulled back and gave Spencer the best smile she could muster. "Sorry," she said.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he said, wiping her tears with the backs of his fingers. He took his seat again and reached across the table to give her hand a squeeze. He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"It took me so long to admit it to myself—how I was feeling about him. The past few days, I just…I don't know," she paused as she chewed on her lip.

"Did the accident bring these feelings on?" Spencer asked.

"No," Carly said, shaking her head slowly. "No, I've been developing these feelings for a while. The accident just gave me a solid push in that direction. I guess you could say it woke me up to some things I hadn't seen before, but it's not the reason I fell in love with him."

"So how did things get messed up?" Spencer probed.

"Well, like I said, it took me a while to realize I had feelings for him. I wasn't totally sure until I, uhm, kissed him Saturday," she looked up to read Spencer's reaction. She saw no judgment there, only an open expression. She found the courage to go on, "and then, well, he wanted to know if it was real or if I was just grateful or something. That's when I realized for sure that I was in love with him."

Spencer waited patiently for her to find her words. She sighed heavily, "That's when it all went wrong. I started trying to tell him how I felt, but I went about it all wrong. He got the wrong impression and thought I was going to reject him again." Carly looked down at her hands in her lap, "I guess it's understandable. I've done it often enough. I can only blame myself for that."

Carly paused to blink back her tears. "Anyway," she said with a loud sniff, "he wouldn't even let me talk when I tried to explain. He was just so hurt. He wouldn't listen. He left me in the studio, and I was too much of a coward to go after him."

"So that's why he ran out of here that way and forgot his laptop," Spencer said quietly, "and why you asked me to take it over there instead of taking it yourself."

"Yeah," Carly admitted, "and why I didn't go see him Sunday or yesterday. I didn't talk to him at school either. I've just been too scared to face him."

"What are you scared of?" Spencer asked.

"I'm not sure," Carly said hesitantly. "Maybe that he'll be mad at me, or that things will be too awkward."

"I don't think either of those things will be a problem if you tell him how you feel," Spencer said with a small smile.

"But he wouldn't listen when I tried," Carly protested. "He wouldn't let me get more than two words out."

"So it didn't go so well the first time," Spencer replied. "You have to try again. You know, get back in the saddle."

"But what if he won't hear me?" Carly argued.

"Actions speak louder than words," he offered. "Whoa, kiddo!" he said, glancing at the clock. "We gotta get you to school. You're going to be late!" They grabbed their things and ran out the door.

As Carly watched the buildings whiz by her window, she thought about everything Spencer had said that morning. She finally came to a decision. _"A Rainy Day Resolution,"_ she thought, smiling to herself. She was going to swallow her pride and her fear. She would go through hell or high water. She vowed that, one way or another, she was going to _make_ Freddie Benson accept her love.


	11. Bullies vs Taco Trucks

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 10 Bullies vs. Taco Trucks

Carly sat on a cold metal bench in the girls' locker room and pulled a white tee shirt over her head. She held up her pink blouse and grimly studied the dark purple stain. She'd had a rough day. She had been so late for school that she missed first period, which was the only class she had with Freddie this semester. She hadn't been able to catch up with him between classes either. People were still flocking to him, but she wondered if he might be using that as an excuse to avoid her. Then at lunch, some kid had run into her from behind and caused her to spill her grape juice all down the front of her clothes. She'd been wearing the evidence of the crash since then. She was grateful this was last period. The downside was that last period was gym class, so she traded her stained but comfortable clothing for a pair of icky blue shorts that kept riding up. She also knew Freddie wouldn't be there. He had one heck of an excuse.

"_Not much of an improvement,"_ she thought as she caught her reflection in the mirror. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and adjusted her clothing, then headed for the door that led to the gymnasium. _"Wonder what torture they have in store for us today,"_ she thought grumpily as she reached the door. She paused and reached behind her. "Janky gym shorts!" she muttered to herself as she gave the seat of her pants one final tug to dislodge them from her butt crack.

She took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped into the harsh fluorescent light of the gymnasium. Her stomach rolled when she saw the red rubber balls scattered around the floor. Dodge ball. Of course. Rainy days always meant torture by being pelted with rubber balls. She groaned as she made her way across the gym floor to take a seat on the bleachers.

As Carly waited for the class to start, she quietly observed the students around her. She saw Gibby come from the boys' locker room—shirtless—and make his way to a cluster of boys she recognized as members of the AV club. A trio of older guys, Wade Powell, Kevin Davis, and Scott O'Brien, followed Gibby out of the locker room. They were three of the so-called hottest guys in school—the ones all the girls drooled over and who expected everyone to grovel at their feet. A group of eighth-grade girls huddled together, whispering behind their hands as they watched the three boys stride into the gym. Then Carly saw Duncan step through the locker room doors. She wasn't surprised. Kevin, Wade, and Scott were his best friends. The four of them were thick as thieves. You rarely saw them apart.

To her surprise, though, he didn't follow his friends. He was headed straight for her! Carly quickly searched the room for a place to hide. That's when she noticed the other three boys heckling Gibby. She couldn't make out everything they said, but what little she caught set her temper off. "Hey!" she shouted across the enormous room, but they didn't notice her. The next thing she saw shocked her.

"Hey, Bower!" shouted Wade. "Come over here, man."

"Yeah," added Kevin, "come help us teach this little creep a lesson."

Duncan's eyes left Carly as he turned toward his friends. "What's up guys?"

"Man, look at this nub," Scott sneered. "Walkin' around half naked like he thinks he's the chiz."

"Yeah, little man," Duncan chimed in. "Just who do you think you are?"

"Hey!" Carly screamed again as the heckling turned into outright violence. Carly stood and started across the gym to help her friend. First Kevin, then Scott, then Wade, and finally Duncan launched red rubber missiles at Gibby's bare chest and back. "Stop it!" Carly shrieked.

At that moment, Sam came out of the girls' locker room. Her eyes were shining with excitement. Dodge ball was her kind of game! She headed for Carly, but changed her direction when she saw what was happening to Gibby. Before Carly knew it, Sam had Wade face down on the floor. She was kneeling over him and had his arm twisted behind him at an unnatural angle. "Apologize to the man, Powell," she shouted angrily.

"S-sorry," Wade whimpered in pain.

"Louder! I don't think he heard you!" Sam commanded.

"I'm sorry!" Wade shouted obediently.

Sam released him and sprang to her feet. She leveled the others with a menacing glare. "I think the rest of you also have something to say to Gibby," she growled, "unless you want to be the next one to eat floor."

The three boys made enthusiastic apologies to Gibby as they backed away from Sam quickly. They turned and ran just as Carly reached Sam's side. "Sam!" Carly said, relief plain in her voice. "Thank goodness you got here!"

"Hey, no problem" Sam shrugged. "You can count on Mama," she said as the gym teacher's shrill whistle echoed from the rafters. Carly knew those boys were in for some serious payback as she watched Sam pick up a ball with a sinister gleam in her eyes.

Carly could feel the angry red welts on her legs stinging beneath her jeans as she made her way to the front hall to wait for Spencer. She had taken her time getting dressed after gym, so the halls were mostly empty. She sighed to herself as she collected her things from her locker. She hadn't managed to talk to Freddie all day. She knew she would have to go see him when she got home. She was busy trying out different speeches in her head when she turned a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. There he sat staring out a window toward the parking lot. He didn't acknowledge her presence.

"Freddie?" she said softly.

He jumped when she said his name. He turned wide brown eyes to her. "H-hey, Carly," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I didn't hear you come up."

Carly suddenly felt very shy and awkward with Freddie's gaze on her. _"Man, have the tables turned!"_ she thought. She desperately wanted to talk to him, but she didn't know how to begin. "Waiting for your mom?" she asked lamely. _"Of course he is,"_ she chided herself. _"What else would he be doing? I'm such a nub!"_

"Uh, yeah," he replied. Judging from his tone and expression, Carly guessed that his thoughts pretty much echoed her own. "She's running a bit late," he added.

"Oh," Carly bit her lip. "Mind if I sit with you?" she asked, taking a timid step toward him.

"Sure," he said, moving his backpack to the floor to make room for her. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she slowly stepped closer and lightly perched on the edge of the bench.

"The rain is finally letting up," she said and immediately wanted to kick herself. _"State the obvious! Nub times three!"_ she thought. She had so much to say to him, but she just couldn't find the words.

Freddie studied her profile and noticed she was chewing on her bottom lip. "What's wrong, Carly?" he asked.

"What? N-nothing," she lied.

Freddie wasn't fooled. He knew her better than that. _"I wish she'd talk to me. Let me help her,"_ he thought sadly. It hurt him to think their friendship was so damaged that she wouldn't confide in him anymore.

"Who do you think you're fooling, Carly?" he asked gently. "I know that look. That look tells me something heavy is on your mind. Please talk to me."

She turned to look him in the eye. His face was so full of affection and concern it made her want to cry. "Freddie," she began, "I've been doing a lot of thinking…"

She was interrupted by the sound of loud voices outside. They both turned to the window and saw three large figures surrounding a smaller fourth one. "Gibby!" Carly gasped. "They're at it again!"

"Who's at what again?" Freddie asked, studying the scene before him. Carly filled him in on what happened in gym class. "Looks like they're about to get their revenge," he said grimly, "or so they think."

"Freddie, what are you doing?" Carly asked as he grabbed his crutches and stepped to the door. She jumped to her feet and followed him.

"I'm going out there," he said, turning back to look at her. "Wait here."

"Freddie," she began again.

"I said wait here," he answered in a gentle but firm voice. He turned and stepped out the door.

Carly's concern and curiosity won out, and she followed him out the door a moment later. Freddie paused but didn't turn to look at her. "Carly," he said, his voice a bit more commanding this time, "stop right there. Don't take another step. Do you hear me?" Carly stopped and took a step back. She leaned against the cold, wet wall as Freddie approached the group of boys.

"Hey guys," he called. "What's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Benson," came the reply. Carly wasn't sure which boy said it.

"Well, actually," Freddie said calmly, "that's my friend, and it looks like you're not being very nice to him right now." He reached Gibby's side and turned to face the boy who had spoken to him, "so that _does_ concern me."

"Stay out of it, hero," another boy sneered, "or we'll give you the same treatment as your friend here."

"You do what you gotta do," Freddie answered, "and I'll do what I gotta do."

"You really think you can fight the three of us?" the third boy asked incredulously.

"No, probably not," Freddie said thoughtfully, "but I'm not just going to stand by and watch you hurt someone. Besides, do you really want it known around school that a girl whipped your butts, and you were so scared of her you had to sneak around behind her back to pick on her friend?"

"No one would believe that," the first boy scoffed.

"Wouldn't they?" Freddie countered. "Half the school saw her take Wade down, and they saw all of you running from her. It's not much of a leap for everyone to think you're terrified of her."

"You don't have that kind of pull, Benson."

"You seem to be forgetting that I'm the producer of a very popular web show," Freddie smiled, "and that the girl who roughed you up and her best friend—who happens to be right over there watching us—are the stars of said web show."

"Look, dude," said one of the boys hastily, "there's no need to bring this up on iCarly. We have a reputation to maintain."

"Fair enough," Freddie said coolly, "but _we_ have friends to protect." The three bullies exchanged glances, and the one closest to Freddie took a step back. "Do we have an understanding, gentlemen?" Freddie asked, keeping his voice even and confident.

"Yeah, sure, man," one said as the others nodded. Freddie and Gibby both breathed a sigh of relief as the three bullies turned and left.

"Freddie, man," Gibby said, taking a deep breath, "thanks."

"No problem, Gibby," Freddie smiled at him. "How come those guys picking on you like that?"

"I don't know. Because they can, I guess," Gibby answered, shaking his head.

"Well, they can't anymore," Freddie said, his voice full of determination.

Gibby's mom pulled up to the curb and honked her horn. "Well, there's my ride," Gibby said as he turned to go. "Thanks again, Freddie. I owe you one!"

"Don't mention it," Freddie said as he watched Gibby get into the car.

Carly came running and reached Freddie's side as Gibby's car drove away. "Oh my God, Freddie!" she exclaimed breathlessly, "that was amazing! You were so brave!"

"I just did what I had to," he said with a shrug as they turned and headed back toward the building. "Besides, compared to a taco truck, those guys aren't so scary." he joked.

Carly's face fell. Guilt instantly filled her. "Hey," Freddie said softly, "don't feel bad. I was just trying to lighten the mood." He caught her eye and smiled at her until she smiled back. "Those guys are nubs."

"The nubbiest!" Carly agreed.

"I'm sorry I got iCarly involved in this thing," he said.

"Don't be sorry," Carly said, her eyes wide. "Gibby is my friend, too! I'm happy that our show gives us a way to fight back." Carly opened the door and held it while Freddie hobbled through on his crutches.

"Speaking of the show," Freddie said, "don't you think it's about time we got it going again?"

"Are you able to do it?" she asked. "You don't need more time to heal?"

"I'm going to be in this cast and on these crutches for four more weeks at least," he answered. "I don't want to wait that long. I doubt the fans do either."

"Neither do I" Carly admitted. "I've missed doing the show." She raised her eyes to his and took a step closer to him. "I've missed _you_, Freddie."

Freddie swallowed the lump in his throat. "I've missed you, too. The past few days have been…"

"Horrible," they said together.

"I'm sorry for the way things went in the studio," she said.

"So am I," he replied, "but most of all, I'm sorry that it hurt our friendship."

"Me too," she said as she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"Hey, don't do that," he whispered as he wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb. "You know I can't stand to see you cry."

"I know," she said with a weak smile. "I just…oh, Freddie! It's been awful not being able to talk to you."

"Why did you think you couldn't talk to me?"

"I was afraid you would be mad at me or something, I guess."

"Carly," he said, offering her half a smile, "I wasn't mad at you. I was hurt—badly hurt, but I wasn't angry."

"I never wanted to hurt you, Freddie. I tried to explain…"

"Shh," he cut her off, placing his left index finger over her lips, "I don't want to get into that right now."

"But, Freddie," she protested, "If I could just…"

"We can deal with that later," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Right now, I just want my best friend back."

"I do, too," she said, barely holding back a sob.

"Okay then," he said as he placed his right crutch against the wall and reached for her. She stepped into his embrace, and he held her tight. "Let's just focus on rebuilding our friendship." He felt her nod against his chest. "Friends first, no matter what," he whispered into her hair and placed a soft kiss by her temple.

Carly was surprised when she felt a huge weight lift from her heart. _"Maybe that's what I've been so worried about,"_ she thought, _"the reason I fought my feelings for so long and why I've been so scared to face him lately. I was afraid of losing our friendship."_

She was thrilled with her realization. She desperately wanted to pull Freddie to her and kiss him, but she knew he was right. They needed to repair the damage to their friendship first. She knew their friendship was the foundation of everything else they felt for each other, and they would never make it as a couple without that. Besides, she had an idea how she could move them to the next level once they were back on solid ground as friends. She started to form a plan.

Carly and Freddie stood contented in each other's arms until the sound of footsteps drew their attention. Carly opened her eyes and gasped when she saw a figure round the corner behind Freddie. She stiffened and took a half step back, pulling herself from Freddie's arms. The one person who could totally ruin this moment was headed right for her.

Confused, Freddie looked down at Carly's face. Her eyes were fixed on the intruder behind him. He turned to see who had interrupted their intimate moment, and his heart sank. Duncan Bower.


	12. About the Valentine's Dance

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 11 About the Valentine's Dance

"_What the chiz does he want?"_ Carly thought in irritation as she watched Duncan approaching. She glanced at Freddie, whose face couldn't have been more different from what it was a moment before. It took her a second to label the expression he wore. _"Defeat,"_ she concluded. _"If defeat had a face, that's what it would look like."_

"I'll see you later, Carly," Freddie mumbled as he retrieved his crutch and headed for the door.

"No," Carly pleaded, "don't go!"

"I have to," he insisted.

"Freddie!" she called as he opened the door. "At least wait for me."

He threw a sad smile over his shoulder as he stepped out the door.

Carly turned to face Duncan as she heard him call her name. "Hi, Duncan," she answered, barely managing to keep the greeting from sounding like a groan.

Her lack of enthusiasm was lost on Duncan. He just lifted one corner of his mouth. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uhm, I…," she stalled. She really wanted to run after Freddie. She peered out the window just in time to see Freddie disappear into his mother's car. Her spirits fell as she stared at the rapidly shrinking license plate. _"He left,"_ she thought, fighting something that felt a little like anger and a lot like heartbreak. _"I asked him to wait, and he just left! Just like that!"_

She sighed heavily as she turned her attention back to Duncan. "Sure," she said. "What did you want to talk about?"

"About the Valentine's dance," he chuckled. "I told you I'd get back with you one day this week." He unleashed his full smile on her. "Have you made up your mind?"

She glanced back out the window at the spot where the Bensons' car had disappeared and thought for a moment. "Actually," she said as she returned her gaze to Duncan's expectant face, "yeah, I have."

-------------

Carly stood lost in a maze of silk, satin, and taffeta in every color she could imagine. She hardly knew where to begin her search. The fact that she was distracted by thoughts of Freddie didn't help either. Since Duncan had interrupted them Tuesday afternoon, they hadn't quite managed to recapture the sweetness of that moment. They had spent every afternoon together the rest of the week. They had made significant strides in rebuilding their friendship, but they had carefully avoided the topic of romance. _"Probably better that way,"_ Carly thought with a sigh. _"Seems like we either get interrupted or things get awkward every time we try to broach that subject."_ Carly told herself to be patient. She and Freddie needed lots of quality friend time. _"Right now, though, I have a dress to buy,"_ she scolded herself.

She finally found a sizzling little number in red satin that hugged her body in all the right places. She studied herself in the fitting room mirror. The strapless bodice crossed her chest in a straight line that allowed just a hint of cleavage to peek over the top. The form-fitting straight skirt reached her ankles, but a high slit on the left side gave a provocative glimpse of her knee and part of her thigh when she moved. A wide, black silk ribbon circled her waist and flowed down her right side to mid calf. It was simple. It was elegant. It was sexy as hell!

"_He's going to die when he sees me in this!"_ she thought excitedly. She imagined how his gorgeous brown eyes would glow when he saw her and the breathtaking smile he would wear knowing it was all for him. Carly gasped when she looked at the price tag, but she quickly decided it was worth the cost to bring that look to his face.

After surrendering almost all of her savings to the cashier at the dress store, Carly headed off in search of shoes and accessories. She found a pair of strappy silver heels that brought out the muscles in her calves, making her legs look toned, sexy, and five miles long. She completed the ensemble with a delicate choker of rubies and diamonds and matching earrings that dangled past her jaw line. It was only costume jewelry, but the set perfectly accentuated her graceful neck.

She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Spencer. "You're done already?" he asked, surprised.

"Almost," she answered cheerfully, "just one last stop at the party supply store, and I'll be all set. I'll be ready by the time you get here." She was in and out of the party store faster than she expected and decided to stop by Build-a-Bra at the last minute.

----------------

Monday morning, Freddie met Carly by her locker. "Hey," he said as he reached her side.

"Hey back," she smiled at him. "How was therapy?"

"Fine, I guess," he shrugged. "All I did was some stretching. Range of motion stuff. I don't know why they thought I needed to waste my whole Saturday on it. What did you end up doing?"

"Shopping," she said with a big grin. "Build-a-Bra was having an awesome sale!"

"Oh," he said, suddenly thinking physical therapy didn't seem like such a bad way to spend a Saturday. "I guess you and Sam had all kinds of fun with that."

"Sam wasn't with me," Carly said as she tugged an oversized textbook from her locker. "She spent the day with Pete."

"I didn't know they were still an item," Freddie commented.

"Well, she's going to the dance with him," Carly laughed, "so they must be _something_."

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "So I guess you have your plans all ironed out?" Freddie tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He had been hearing people talking about Carly going with Duncan for a week now. He figured he might as well just accept it.

"Yeah," she answered without looking at him, "I got my dress and everything."

"You must be looking forward to your date," Freddie probed. He didn't know why he felt compelled to pour salt in his own gaping wound.

"I am," she said with an enigmatic smile. "I think it's going to be a wonderful night with a wonderful guy."

Freddie tasted bitter, angry tears in the back of his throat. He blinked them away before she saw. "Well, he sure is a lucky guy."

She let that comment go. "Are you still planning to work in the studio that night?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, grateful to her for changing the subject. "Even if I wanted to go to the dance, I couldn't."

She wrinkled her brow at him. He sighed, "Today is February 1st. The dance is only two weeks away, and I haven't asked anyone." Her brow cleared, and he added, "Besides, I can't dance in this condition anyway."

"So what time are you planning to be at the studio?"

"I don't know," he wondered why she cared. "Why?"

"Uhm, well," she stammered, "I thought I might see you there."

"I doubt it," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I probably won't get there until eight or so. You'll be gone by then." He knew the dance started at eight. He also knew he could be at Carly's any time that night. The truth was he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her dressed up and looking gorgeous for another guy—again.

"Hey, Freddie," came a sickeningly sweet-sounding female voice. Carly turned to see a short redhead with bright blue eyes and freckles smiling up at Freddie.

"_Who's this skunkbag?"_ she thought, jealousy raging within her.

"Hey, Erin," Freddie greeted politely.

"Are we still on for tomorrow?" Erin cooed.

"Uh, sure," he answered, glancing nervously at Carly.

Carly had had enough. "I'm Carly," she said a bit too harshly as she stepped closer to Freddie.

"Oh, hi," Erin said as if she had just noticed Carly standing there. "I'm Erin."

"So I heard," Carly said and mentally kicked herself for her rudeness.

Freddie saw the makings of a cat fight in front of him and spoke up. "Sorry, ladies," he said smoothly. "I forgot my manners. Carly, this is Erin. She's new here and just joined the chess club. I'm her chess partner."

"Oh," Carly said, somewhat mollified, "nice to meet you."

"You too," Erin said timidly as she backed away.

"Coming, Freddie?" Carly asked sweetly, leading him in the direction of their class.

As Freddie followed her and Erin slinked away through the crowd, Carly made a silent vow. _"That skunkbag isn't getting anywhere near my Freddie!"_ she promised herself. _"Not if I have anything to say about it!"_

**AN: I debated whether to post this chapter now, or wait until the next one is done and post them both. I decided to go ahead and give you this. I expect some of you aren't too happy with Carly (or with me) right now. It looks like she might be going to the dance with that jerk Duncan after all. WTF right? Well, all I ask is that you have a little faith in me (and Carly) and give us one more chapter. It will be up soon, we promise!**


	13. Skunkbag!

**AN: Much love to all those who have reviewed, favorited, and/or subscribed to this story! I hope you're all still enjoying this tale as we head down the home stretch. As always, reviews are much appreciated! :)**

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 12 Skunkbag

Carly kept her eye on Erin the rest of the week, and she did her best to keep the little skunkbag away from Freddie. She could see the way that skunkbag gazed adoringly at him. Every time she got near him, she would flirt, and smile, and laugh, and pour out all her skunkbag charm. Carly knew Erin was just trying to weasel her way into Freddie's heart like the little skunkbag she was. She was also aware of her excessive use of the word "skunkbag" where Erin was concerned.

Carly hadn't been able to keep them apart completely, though. Freddie had to attend chess club meetings, and of course Erin was there. Carly could just picture her drooling over him and batting her eyes. The thought gagged her.

Carly was really put on her guard Friday afternoon, though. She was changing for gym when the skunkbag in question came strutting by her. Carly was leaning down to tie her shoes when a pair of pasty, too skinny legs crossed her vision. The sound of her gym bag crashing to the floor followed. Carly looked up to see two red pigtails (did she _honestly_ think that was cute?) bouncing away.

"Hey, thanks!" Carly called out, her voice full of sarcasm. _"Skunkbag!"_ she added internally.

The red pigtails quit bouncing as Erin stopped and slowly turned back to face Carly. "I'm sorry," she said, but her tone said that she wasn't sorry at all. "Did I upset your bag?"

"That's one way to put it," Carly muttered as she collected the scattered articles and placed them back in her bag. She looked up to see Erin approaching her. She moved like a snake in the grass—an appropriate analogy, Carly decided.

Erin stopped just inches away from Carly and stood over her. A smirk crossed her face as she looked down her nose. "Well just get ready, little miss web star," she sneered. "That's not the only part of your life I'm going to send crashing down around you."

Carly stood and leveled at glare at Erin. Erin lost some of her cocky air when Carly reached her full height. Carly took a step forward so that Erin had to crane her neck to look up at her. "Are you threatening me, little girl?" she asked, her voice low.

"I'm just saying," Erin replied in a tone that was a little less self-assured than before, "be prepared."

Carly narrowed her eyes at the smaller girl. She stood her ground as Erin backed away. _"Oh, I'm prepared,"_ she thought. _"Do your best, skunkbag!"_

Carly pulled her Pearphone out of her bag and punched in a familiar number. She tapped her foot impatiently as it rang four times. "Hello?" came a shrill voice over the line.

"Hi, Mrs. Benson," Carly said, careful not to be heard. "It's Carly."

* * *

After school, Carly found Freddie waiting by her locker. "Hi, Freddie," she greeted him with her best smile. "What's up?"

"Waiting for you," he said leaning casually against the lockers behind him.

"Oh?" she said as she dialed her combination.

"My mom called," Freddie said. "She said something about having to run an errand for a friend. She won't be able to pick me up, so I'm supposed to ride home with you and Spencer."

"Well that's convenient," Carly smiled. "I was hoping we could spend the afternoon together anyway."

"Sounds good to me," Freddie said, his smile beaming.

"Great," she replied, returning his smile. "Say, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Well, I have physical therapy in the morning," he said, "but I haven't decided what I'm going to do the rest of the day. Erin said something about needing to practice her chess, but I'm starting to wonder about her."

Carly frowned at his mention of Erin, but she covered it quickly with, "Wondering what?"

"Well," Freddie said thoughtfully, "she said she wanted to work on her 'King's Gamble'."

"O-kay," Carly said, eyeing him askance.

Freddie explained, "The King's _Gambit_ is a really famous chess opening." Carly's face remained blank. Freddie went on, "but she said 'King's _Gamble_.' That, and the fact that the King's Gambit is rarely used in advanced play, kind of makes me think she really isn't very experienced at chess."

"So you think she's faking it?"

"Maybe," he replied with a shake of his head. "She obviously knows something about the game. I just don't think she knows as much as she lets on." He paused for a moment. "I don't know…" he trailed off with a sigh.

"So anyway," Carly said brightly (she wasn't about to let Erin have any time alone with him, made up chess moves or no), "change of subject!" Freddie raised his eyebrows at her. "How would you like to spend the non-therapeutic part of your weekend with me?"

"Doing what?"

"I don't know. Anything. I just want some quality Freddie time." Freddie didn't answer right away. Carly stepped closer to him and ran her fingertips through his hair from his temple back behind his ear. "Please," she whispered, gazing into his eyes, "for me?"

"I'd love to," Freddie said, leaning into her touch. "You know I can't refuse you anything when you use that line on me."

She simply smiled at him as she took his arm and led him toward the main doors. They saw Spencer's car outside. As Carly opened the door and held it for Freddie, she heard a familiar voice that had started to sound to her like a cat in a blender.

"Freddie!" the voice screeched. "Wait up!" Skunkbag, or Erin as she was commonly known, came bouncing around the corner. She bounded up to Freddie. "Where are you going?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. "I thought we might play a game or two, or something…" She eyed Carly as her words trailed off.

"Sorry, Erin," he said brightly, "but I'm riding home with Carly and her brother. I have to go. Oh, and I won't be able to practice chess with you this weekend. I have plans." With that, he turned and stepped past Carly, who still held the door. Carly directed a self-satisfied smirk toward Erin as she turned and followed him to the parking lot.

* * *

Carly worried that her plot to keep Erin and Freddie apart may have been a bit obvious. Keeping him away from her had been easy enough over the weekend, but she had to step up her game the following week at school. The chess club was holding meetings every day after school in preparation for a big chess meet, which meant Erin had access to Freddie for an hour and a half every afternoon. Carly wasn't happy about that, but she refused to take it lying down.

She made sure she and Freddie had plans after every meeting so Erin wouldn't have an opportunity to extend any more invitations—of any kind—to him. Whether it was an iCarly rehearsal, a movie night, or just meeting at the Groovy Smoothie, Freddie always left the meetings in a hurry to get to Carly. Erin was fuming. Carly could see it on her face. Little did Carly know that Erin was planning a counterattack.

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon, Freddie was rushing to get to the chess club meeting when he saw Erin pull a younger boy aside in the hallway. She whispered to him intently and passed him a folded bill. Freddie couldn't tell what the going rate was for the young boy's services, but he was definitely Erin's paid henchman.

As Freddie neared, Erin abruptly ended the conversation and smiled up at Freddie. The boy hurried away, and it registered in the back of Freddie's mind that he recognized him. _"That's the boy who bumped into Carly at lunch the other day and spilled her juice,"_ Freddie thought, his brow furrowed. Freddie felt like he was missing something—like he wasn't quite putting the pieces together. He tried to shrug it off, but the thought tugged at his brain as he entered the room where the rest of the chess club was assembled.

* * *

Carly and Freddie crossed the school's front lawn together on Thursday morning, picking their way around mud puddles and piles of melting snow. Carly listened with rapt attention as Freddie recounted what he had witnessed in the hallway the previous afternoon. Carly put the pieces together immediately. _"Why, that little…that little…skunkbag!"_ she thought angrily.

The pair had almost made it to the door when something solid smacked into them. Carly was sent flying and landed on her butt in the middle of a big mud puddle. Freddie tried to catch her and ended up splashing down beside her. The spray from his impact covered what little of Carly's body hadn't been soiled in her own fall.

Freddie watched the quickly retreating form and recognized it as Erin's hired thug. "I don't believe it," he whispered.

"Don't believe what?" Carly asked, her voice caught somewhere between shrieking and sobbing hysterically.

"That was the boy I was telling you about," he said slowly. "The one Erin paid in the hallway."

"You don't say," Carly said slowly, her voice suddenly calm—deathly calm. She pulled herself to her feet and helped Freddie up. She retrieved her soiled backpack from the mud and stomped toward the school's main entrance.

Just as Carly reached the door, she heard Erin's voice behind her. "You weren't supposed to get Freddie, you nub!" Erin hissed. "You were just supposed to take that little diva down. You're just lucky I paid in advance." Rage filled Carly. She saw red.

Carly turned and saw Erin standing several feet from her, glaring at the mercenary who had just pushed her into the mud. The boy whispered something to Erin that Carly didn't hear then hurried away. That's when Carly snapped.

Freddie looked up in shock as a war whoop sounded from near the door. He saw Carly running full speed toward an unknown target, her mud-caked hair flopping against her back. Freddie tracked Carly's path and saw her intended victim.

"Oh. My. God!" Freddie thought as Carly launched herself at the scrawny redhead. The two girls landed in a puddle with a wall of muddy water spraying up around them.

The two girls surfaced, both covered in mud. Their relative size was the only way to tell them apart. Erin was sputtering mud. Carly grabbed her by the hair and pushed her face down into the mud again. Then she flipped the smaller girl over and straddled her, holding her wrists above her head. Freddie thought the technique looked suspiciously like the one she often used on him before the boys got lower and he got strong enough to fight back.

Erin thrashed around beneath Carly but wasn't able to unseat her. "You stay away from Freddie, you little skunkbag!" Freddie heard Carly shout as he came closer.

"What do you care?" came Erin's reply. "You never wanted Freddie. Besides, you have Duncan now. What does it matter to you if Freddie finds someone else?"

"It matters," Carly hissed, "because…."

"Girls!" shouted an irate teacher who had just reached the edge of the puddle. "Enough! Detention for both of you tomorrow afternoon." The teacher gave a disgusted sigh as he took in the sight of the two girls, "Now get out of that puddle. I'm calling your guardians." He strode away in an angry huff.

* * *

The following afternoon, Carly and Erin stared each other down throughout their two-hour detention. When it was finally over, they warily circled each other as they made their way into the hall.

Freddie was waiting in the hallway when the two girls came out of detention. The hostility between them was tangible. Carly kept her eyes on Erin as she stepped closer to Freddie. "Ready to go?" she asked without breaking her stare at her opponent.

"Sure," Freddie said. He started to turn to follow her to Spencer's waiting car.

"Oh, Freddie," Erin called.

Freddie paused and turned back to her. "Yes?"

"I've been wanting to ask you something," she said sweetly. Carly narrowed her eyes and growled—actually growled—at the little upstart.

"What is it?" he sighed.

"Well," she began, her voice demur, "I don't usually do this, but…. I know it's really late notice with the dance tomorrow and all, but I was wondering if you'd like to go with me." She batted her eyes coyly at him. Carly couldn't believe her ears.

"Excuse me?" Freddie said, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. He glanced at Carly, whose face was murderous, then back at Erin.

"Well, _she's_ going with Duncan," Erin whined, "and why should you stay home alone?" She took a deep breath and tried again. "I like you, Fredward," she said, doing her best to make her voice seductive, "and I think we could have a great time together."

Freddie's eyes darted back and forth between the two girls. He felt like a wounded baby antelope between two hungry tigers.

Erin took a half step closer to him and gave him her best smile. "What do you say?"


	14. The Dance

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 13 The Dance

Carly studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her makeup was perfect. She was delighted with the way her eyes looked shaded and sultry even in the bright light of the bathroom. She practiced her seductive gaze and pictured what his deep chocolate eyes would look like gazing back at her.

She removed the pink and purple plastic rollers from her glossy black hair. Loose waves tumbled down around her shoulders and framed her face. She parted her hair to hang mostly over her left shoulder. She swept the heavy locks back from her right temple and pinned the hair behind her ear with a small comb so that the waves hung down her back, leaving her right shoulder bare. The tiny red stones on the comb glinting in her hair gave a subtle effect. She couldn't wait to feel his fingertips gently stroking her hair and caressing her skin.

Satisfied with her work, she made her way to her bedroom and unzipped the garment bag that hung from her closet door. The sexy, blood-red dress softly reflected the light. Carly had always liked the way light played on satin. She stepped to her dresser and pulled out the matching black lace panties and bra she had bought the day she found the dress. She was pleased with the way the black lace contrasted with her fair skin. The underwear made her feel sexy, and she was thankful for the extra boost to her confidence. She was going to need all the confidence she could muster this evening. Her heart fluttered every time she thought of him.

She carefully slid the dress over her head, doing her best not to disturb her hair. When she had managed to get the dress zipped, she tied the silk ribbon around her waist and added her earrings and choker. She placed a drop of perfume behind each ear, imagining his deep voice rumbling in her ear as he followed the scent. She picked up a tube of crimson lipstick that matched the polish on her hands and feet and carefully colored her mouth. She slipped on her heels, gave her reflection one last perusal, and decided she was ready. She sat on her bed to wait, daydreaming about his beautiful smile.

* * *

Freddie sat on his bed, absently flipping through the TV channels. He had refused Erin's invitation to the dance for several reasons. 1. He didn't really like her that much. 2. He didn't want to go to the dance and be forced to watch Carly with yet another guy who wasn't him. 3. He would never, ever, date anyone who had treated Carly the way Erin had, and 4. He was, afterall, still on crutches.

He leaned back on his pillows, remembering the last time Carly had been in this room with him. His heart still raced with the memory of her mouth on his body, and what she had done with her hand…. He just wished Spencer had better timing!

Freddie sighed in frustration and scrubbed his face with his hand. _"Spencer's off somewhere with Socko hiding from Trudy now. Mom's working a double shift. Why couldn't Carly be in here doing that to me now? There'd be no one to interrupt us tonight,"_ he grumbled to himself. _"Fate's a bitch!"_

Freddie's mind wandered back to the feeling of Carly's hands roaming his body. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the fantasy. His hand became hers as he played out the scene in his mind. "Carly," he groaned as he found release. Then he opened his eyes and let reality, harsh as it was, back in.

He had been listening for the sound of Carly leaving for the dance, but he had heard nothing. He glanced at his alarm clock. The numbers told him it was 7:56pm. _"Guess I missed it,"_ he thought. _"She has to be gone by now."_ He wondered why he was so disappointed by the fact that he missed hearing her leave, even though he couldn't stand to see her go. "Well, I guess I should get over there," he sighed, speaking to no one in particular. "I sure don't want to be there when she gets home."

After cleaning himself up, Freddie gathered his laptop and other equipment and headed across the hall. He found the spare key the Shays kept outside their door and let himself into the apartment. The living room was dark, but the lights shining through the large windows gave enough illumination for him to reach the elevator. He stepped in and pushed the button for the third floor. The elevator door opened, and Freddie stepped into the iCarly studio with his head down and his eyes fixed on the gadgets in his hands. He noticed the tech cart wasn't in its usual place, and he looked up in search of it. When he did, the sight that greeted him nearly sent him into shock.

The studio was almost unrecognizable. Freddie set his equipment down on the tech cart as he took in the changes to the room. Red and white candles of all shapes and sizes glowed softly all around him. Red, pink, and white balloons filled the rafters. Their softly curling strings hung down at varying lengths. The floor was sprinkled with rose petals and sparkling confetti. Vases full of roses adorned nearly every surface.

Freddie was in a daze when he heard the studio door open and shut behind him. "Like what you see?" came Carly's sweet, soft voice.

It took Freddie a second to find his voice. "Y-yeah," he whispered as he turned to face Carly, "it's amaz.…" He was rendered speechless when he saw her. She was a vision in red with a thick mane of black waves hanging over one shoulder. His mouth went dry, and his tongue felt clumsy and thick. "Oh my God, Carly," he breathed when he was finally able to speak. "You're beautiful!"

She blushed as she looked down at herself. "You like it?" she asked.

"I love it," he said earnestly. "What is all this?"

"It's our date," she said simply, raising her eyes to his. Freddie suddenly forgot how to breathe.

"_Our_ date?" he finally got out.

"Yours and mine," she said softly as she stepped closer to him.

His heart raced as he watched her approach him. "What about Duncan?" he asked, not quite believing this was real.

"I told him no," she said with a soft smile. "I wanted to be with you."

"But everyone at school was saying you were going with him," Freddie said, trying to blink away his confusion. He still couldn't get his head around the fact that Carly was here with him.

"Well that's the thing about rumors," she laughed. "They usually aren't true."

"So you did all this," he said in amazement, "the room, the dress…."

"All for you, Freddie," she whispered as she reached over and picked up a remote from the tech cart. She pressed a button, and soft music started to fill the room.

She was so close, Freddie could smell her. The mixture of her shampoo and perfume was intoxicating. Freddie closed his eyes and swallowed hard. His body hummed in anticipation as he waited—hoped—for her to touch him.

She reached out and placed her palm lightly on his cheek. He sighed deeply as he leaned into her touch. He opened his eyes to see her gazing at him, her face full of…love? He dared to hope. "You wouldn't let me tell you how I feel about you," she said softly, "so I'm showing you instead."

He recognized the song as the same one that had played the night they danced in the Groovy Smoothie. She led him to the center of the room. "Dance with me?" she asked, staring deeply into his eyes. Did she think Duncan's eyes were like molten chocolate? They were crusty little mud puddles compared to Freddie's!

Freddie nearly lost himself in her beautiful eyes. They were so deep, so seductive, and they were gazing at him like he was the only man in the world. "I can't," he said sadly, gesturing to his crutches.

"Then just stand there and hold me," she replied, stepping into his arms.

He leaned his crutches against the hood of the car and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her warmth spread throughout his body as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll hold you all night if you let me," he whispered into her hair. Her arms tightened around his waist. "I just can't believe you're here," he murmured. "You missed the dance…for me."

She lifted her head to look him in the eye. The smile he wore nearly melted her. "Didn't I promise never to leave you alone again?"

His face fell. "Carly," he said quietly, "you didn't do this just because you felt obligated, did you?"

"No," she said, her face open and honest, "I did it because I wanted to. I wanted _you_, Freddie."

Freddie was speechless. Now that Carly finally had his attention, she poured her heart out to him. They stood holding each other tightly, almost dancing, through several songs while she shared her feelings. She told him of the confusion she had felt, the reasons she had fought her feelings, how she finally came to realize what she felt for him, everything.

Freddie's heart soared higher with her every word. He watched her beautiful crimson lips as she spoke. He ached to feel those lips on his again.

His breath caught as she brought her face closer to his. "It wasn't gratitude," she whispered when her lips were almost touching his. "It was real." Then she sealed it with a kiss.

Neither Freddie nor Carly had ever known a kiss could carry so much emotion. When they pulled back, they each had tears shining in their eyes. "So does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend," Freddie asked hopefully.

"I guess so," Carly replied with a warm smile. Freddie pressed a gentle kiss to Carly's forehead. "I love you, Freddie Benson," she whispered as she lifted her face to his again.

"I love you, too," he replied, his voice almost breaking. When he touched his lips to hers once more, she plunged her hands into his hair. He moaned in pleasure as she pulled him closer and deepened their kiss.

**AN: Carly and Freddie's night is just getting started. Stay tuned for more!**


	15. A Magical Night

iOwe You My Life

Chapter 14 A Magical Night

Carly ran her hands through Freddie's thick, soft hair. She loved the silky feel of it as it slid between her fingers. She pulled him down to press her mouth more firmly against his. She heard the moan of pleasure emanating from deep in his chest as she lightly ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of his bottom lip. She felt a thrill at the sound, and she noticed that it sent vibrations running down from her heart to some place low in her belly.

Freddie gasped when he felt Carly's teeth gently nipping at his bottom lip. He pulled her hard against his chest, pressing their bodies tightly together as he drew her top lip into his mouth. He sucked it lightly for just a moment, then released it and caressed it with the tip of his tongue. She moaned and sighed his name, and the sound stirred his blood. He grew bold and went after her bottom lip more aggressively.

Carly was losing herself in the sensation of Freddie's kiss. She gave up on restraint and let her lips move of their own accord. She swept her tongue into his mouth and tangled it with his as his hands travelled from her waist up her back.

Freddie let his hands glide over the smooth fabric of Carly's dress until he reached the soft, warm skin of her upper back. He felt her shiver as his fingertips danced across her shoulder blades and up her neck to tangle in her hair. He gave the hair at the nape of her neck a gentle tug and heard her gasp. She stiffened ever so slightly, but he felt it. He thought he had crossed some undefined line and quickly released her. His eyes fluttered open, and she was staring wide-eyed back at him. Her expression was unreadable.

"Carly?" he asked tentatively.

"No one has ever done anything like that to me before," she whispered breathlessly.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes downcast.

"Don't be," she whispered. He glanced back up and saw that her gaze had become heavy-lidded. "I liked it."

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. He backed up until he felt the bumper of the car against his legs. He could go no farther, but she kept advancing on him. He watched her eyes as she pushed him down onto the hood of the car. His hands rested on her waist as he gazed up at her from his seated position.

She stood over him, her hands on his shoulders. His mind wondered what she was about to do, but his body simply screamed for her to do it. His breath caught as she leaned down, her hair falling in a curtain around them. He reached up and placed both hands on her face, gently stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs as he pulled her mouth down to his.

Their lips fused. Their tongues danced. Their mouths mated passionately as their hands roamed each other's bodies. Freddie felt Carly's grip tighten on his shoulders, her nails pressing into his flesh, then release in a pulsing motion. He let his hands slide from her face down her neck. His fingertips grazed the rough texture of her choker then found the smooth contours of her collarbones. He traced the ridge to her shoulders and let his hands rest there for a moment, his thumbs stroking the path his fingers had just followed back to the hollow of her throat.

"Mmm, Freddie," she sighed, lifting her mouth from his and stretching her neck to him in invitation. Freddie knew what to do this time and didn't hesitate. He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, the tip of his tongue gently teasing the juncture of her lips. He swept her hair back behind her and let his lips glide across her skin down the column of her throat.

He stopped to place a kiss at her pulse point. He could feel it racing beneath his touch, and he knew his own matched it. His tongue darted out to flick the skin where his lips had just been, and he felt the steady rhythm of her pounding pulse skip a beat. _"She likes that,"_ he thought with satisfaction. He repeated the motion again and again until the little beat became erratic.

His hands started to wander from her shoulders to her upper arms and back again. He was slowly working up his nerve to caress other parts of her body. Her soft sighs and moans urged him on. He daringly brought his left hand from her bicep straight across, letting his fingertips follow the line of her bodice. His blood raced as his fingers found the soft swell of the top of her breast. Her sharp intake of breath stopped him short. He looked up at her in question.

"It's okay, Freddie," she said softly. "Don't stop." She kissed him again.

Freddie returned her kiss eagerly as his hand resumed its trek across her chest. He was touching only the very edge of her cleavage, but he could already feel the blood racing to his groin. He wanted more. He brought both his hands back down to her waist, allowing his palms to brush her breasts. Her breath caught, and she moaned in pleasure. He felt encouraged to continue.

He brought his left hand back up her body, moving slowly, until he reached the underside of her breast. He paused a moment in case she wanted to stop him, but she didn't. She did just the opposite. She leaned down and pressed herself into his palm. Freddie's head spun at the feel of Carly's small but supple breast in his hand. He cupped her reverently. He gave her a gentle squeeze and stroked her with his thumb.

He watched her face as he touched her, and what he saw amazed him. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned her head back slightly. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and the corners of her mouth turned up just a bit. Even to his inexperienced eyes, her expression was that of pure pleasure.

His right hand wandered down from her waist over her hip. He found the slit in her dress and slid his hand inside, allowing his fingers to explore her smooth, firm thigh. His fingertips found the delicate skin at the back of her knee and caressed her there. As his hand slid up the back of her thigh, she suddenly lifted her leg and placed her knee on the hood of the car beside his hip.

She leaned into him, and her right leg brushed against his crotch. He felt a jolt of electricity as she inadvertently touched his manhood. He knew she felt his erection, but she didn't pull back. She adjusted her position and began grinding her hips on his. She moved her mouth to his ear and traced the edge with her tongue before capturing the lobe with her teeth.

Carly was surprised by her own boldness, but she couldn't hold herself back. Freddie's touch had lit a fire inside her, and she was being burned alive. The ache she felt low in her body just kept getting stronger. She lifted her leg and positioned herself in his lap without thinking, blindly searching for some kind of relief. She felt the hardness between Freddie's legs when she brushed against him, and it intensified her ache even more. She started grinding her hips on his purely by instinct, but she found that it helped relieve some of the tension she felt. Oddly enough, though, the action fed the fire even as it gave her some relief. She didn't understand how that could be. How could it get so much better and so much worse at the same time?

Freddie was moaning loudly. Or was that her? Carly couldn't tell.

Freddie caught Carly's eye and watched her intently for a moment. "Carly," he panted, "what are…we doing?"

"I think…we're…making out," she panted back, still rubbing herself against him.

He swallowed hard and struggled for breath, "I think…we've…gone past…making out."

"Is that…a bad thing?" she asked without stopping her motion.

"No…I'm just…wondering how…how far we're…going to take this."

She stopped abruptly. She stared straight into his wide eyes for a long moment before removing herself from his lap. She stood in front of him, still gazing intently at him. Her chest heaved as she panted.

Freddie wanted to kick himself. On the other hand, the gentleman in him was proud that he had reminded Carly of what they were doing before she did something she would regret. "I'm sorry, Carly," he said as he tried to catch his breath. "I didn't mean…that is, I wasn't asking, or expecting…I just…." He took a deep breath and tried again. "I just needed to know what you wanted from me."

She held out her hand to him. He glanced from her outstretched hand to her face, confusion etched on his features. "Come with me, Freddie," she whispered.

He stood and reached for her hand. She laced her fingers through his and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. "So you're not mad at me?" he asked.

"No," she smiled shyly at him, "I didn't stop just now because I wanted to _stop. _I just…thought we needed to change locations."

"Uh, okay," he said, the meaning of her words starting to sink in. "Where are we going?"

"My room," she answered softly as she led him to the elevator.

* * *

Carly and Freddie stood facing each other beside her bed. They had turned the covers back and lit a few candles on her dresser and nightstand. Freddie cleared his throat nervously. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes," she said confidently, "I'm sure."

"It's not too soon? We're not going too fast?"

"No," she insisted. "I want this. Don't you?"

"What?" he squeaked, his eyebrows shooting up. "Of course I want this. I want you so much, Carly. You have no idea."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just want you to be sure," he sighed. "I don't want you to regret this. If we make love tonight and you think it's a mistake tomorrow, it'll kill me. I've waited so long for a chance with you. I don't want to mess it up. I don't ever want you to regret giving me your heart…or your body."

"I am sure, Freddie," she said, stepping closer to him and placing her palm on his cheek. "I'm sure about you, and I'm sure about us. I know how much you love me, and I finally understand what that's worth. I know that I love you—that I'm _in love_ with you—for all the right reasons. I've waited long enough for this love, and so have you."

Freddie gave her a single nod and stepped into her embrace. Their lips met softly, but the passion swiftly grew. Carly slid her hands over Freddie's shoulders, slipping off the button-down shirt he wore over his tee shirt and letting it fall to the floor behind him. She then reached for the hem of his tee shirt and lifted it over his head. She kissed his chest as she pulled the shirt off him and tossed it aside.

Freddie groaned as Carly's mouth toyed with his nipples. He ran his hands through her hair and down her back. He reached for the knot in the ribbon she wore around her waist. The knot came loose with a single tug, and he dropped the ribbon at her feet. His hands gripped her waist for a moment as he kissed her deeply. Then they roamed up her back again to the top of her bodice. His fingers searched for her zipper as she unfastened his belt and pants. He slowly unzipped her dress and let it pool at her feet. She stepped out of the crimson fabric and stood before him.

He took half a step back and drank in the sight of her. She was breathtaking. He was instantly hard. He studied her carefully, trying to memorize every detail of her appearance. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. Her luxurious mane flowed down her back and over one shoulder and framed her face perfectly. He took in the way her cleavage swelled over the cups of her strapless bra, accentuating her small but perfectly round breasts. The waistband of her panties sat low on her hips, setting off her flat stomach. The boy-cut legs flattered her slim thighs and her tight round butt. Her skin peeked through the black lace, giving hints here and there of the creamy delicacy beneath the fabric. Her long legs looked strong and sexy in the heels she wore. He couldn't wait to feel them wrapped around him.

"My God!" he breathed. "You're so beautiful."

A pretty blush stained her cheeks as she smiled at him. She said nothing as she reached for him. He stepped closer to her as she placed her hands on his chest then slid them up to the back of his neck, pulling him in for another kiss.

As he kissed her, he let his hands roam her body. The feel of her skin was smoother and softer than the satin had been under his fingertips. He felt the contrast of the rough lace as he reached her bra. He thumbed her nipples and felt them harden beneath the fabric. He loved the sounds she made as he touched her. He lowered his head, and his lips found the delicate skin at the hollow of her throat. His mouth left a trail of fiery kisses straight down to the valley between her breasts. He pressed fervent kisses to the tops of her breasts as he reached for the clasp of her bra.

Carly's blood raced as Freddie's mouth began exploring her cleavage. She felt him reach behind her, searching for the clasp. Her body hummed in anticipation of his mouth on her bare flesh. He fumbled with the clasp a moment before she heard it snap, and her breasts sprang free. He dropped the garment and cupped her gently then brought his mouth down to taste her. She ran her hands through his hair, clutching him against her as his tongue flicked over first one nipple then the other. She cried out when he finally caught one hard peak between his teeth and rolled it with his tongue. His fingers played a similar trick on the other.

Carly's breath came in ragged pants as Freddie continued his ministrations. She ran her hands over his chest and down his stomach to his waist. She hooked her thumbs in his waistband and pushed the fabric down over his hips. He raised his eyes to hers as he covered her hands with his. He helped her push his pants and boxers down to his legs. Her hands fell to her sides as she watched him remove the garments, struggling briefly to get them over his cast.

When he stood naked before her, Carly's gaze roamed his body. Her eyes widened when she took in the sight of his manhood standing erect. She had felt it before, but still she had no idea.

"You're so…so…uhm," she stammered, "b-big. Is that normal?" She wanted to bite her tongue.

Freddie blushed. "Well I don't go around comparing myself to other guys or anything," he said bashfully, "but from what I understand, I am a bit above average."

"O-oh," Carly said, nodding slowly. Her eyes stayed fixed on Freddie's groin for a long moment before meeting his gaze.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, "I'm good." Her gaze waivered. "I'm just nervous, I guess."

"So am I," he assured her, "but we can take this slow." He pulled her into his arms again.

They sank to the bed in each other's arms. Carly lay back and pulled Freddie over her. Freddie's hand wandered down to the patch of rough lace covering her pelvis. He tentatively guided his fingers between her thighs, and she parted them for him. He felt dampness as he stroked her through her underwear.

"Mmm, yes, Freddie," she moaned. "Don't stop!"

Freddie's excitement kept building as he watched Carly squirming beneath him. He reached for the waistband of her panties and pulled them down. She lifted her hips, and he slid the garment down her legs and let them drop to the floor.

His fingers found her core once more, and he carefully stroked her folds. He was amazed by how soft and slick her flesh was, and the wetness made his head swim. His fingers delved deeper into her until he found the tiny bud hidden in her folds. He massaged it in a circular motion, loving the way she squirmed and moaned under his touch.

Carly was losing her mind. Freddie's hand was working magic between her legs. She wanted more, but she wasn't sure she could stand it. She gasped when she felt his finger slide deep inside her body and pump in and out. Her eyes flew open wide when she felt a second finger.

The motion of his fingers stoked her fire. The flesh between her legs was throbbing, and the ache was stronger than ever. "Freddie, please," she moaned, but she wasn't quite sure what she was pleading for.

Carly's plea sent Freddie into a frenzy. His heart was pounding, and his groin was throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to plunge into her heat. "Please what?" he grunted, barely holding himself back, but he needed to hear her say it.

"Please," she panted, "Freddie, take me. Make love to me now."

That was all Freddie needed. He withdrew his hand and positioned himself between her thighs. He quivered in anticipation as the tip of his erection brushed against her entrance. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward slowly. It took all his willpower to hold back, but he wanted to be gentle with her.

He came up against her barrier and pushed gently, but didn't break through. He drew back and pushed again. On the third try, her maidenhead broke. She cried out as he sheathed himself inside her. "God, Carly," he groaned loudly. The pleasure was almost too much for him. He held himself still, trembling and panting, until he felt her relax around him.

She drew her knees up and cradled him with her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, encouraging him to move with her. Freddie began thrusting slowly, savoring the feel of Carly's hot, wet flesh gripping him tightly.

Carly moaned as Freddie's thrusts built friction inside her. He filled her completely. She felt him bumping against her womb, and the tension he created within her was exquisite. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and ran her hands down his back to grip his butt, pulling him even deeper inside her.

Freddie and Carly watched each other's faces as they made love. Each could see the passion and pleasure on the other's features. Freddie increased his pace, and Carly started deliberately squeezing him each time he slid into her. They fed each other's fire until they were totally consumed by the blaze. Carly felt the tension between her legs reach the breaking point, and Freddie felt heat pooling in his groin. A few more thrusts set off the explosion between them. Carly screamed Freddie's name as her flesh erupted in spasms around him, the strong contractions sending shock waves of pleasure throughout his body. He felt his release pulsing down the length of his shaft. He cried out as he spilled himself inside her.

Freddie hovered above Carly, supporting himself on trembling arms as he struggled to catch his breath. He leaned down and captured her lips in a tender kiss. "I love you so much, Carly," he whispered, resting his sweaty forehead against hers.

"I love you, too," she answered, pulling him down beside her and resting her head on his chest.

They lay there together, naked in each other's arms. The sweat sheen on their bodies glistened in the moonlight. Carly glanced at the clock beside her bed. "It's after midnight," she said. "It's officially Valentine's Day."

Freddie smiled down at her. "Be my Valentine?"

They both laughed. "Of course," she said. "Do you really have to ask?"

"I just wanted to hear you say it," he whispered, running his fingers through her mussed hair. "I guess Sam was right about one thing."

"What's that?" she asked, a half smile playing on her face.

"I did have a magical night!"

Carly's smile grew. "The night isn't over yet," she said as she touched her lips to his.


	16. Epilogue

iOwe You My Life

Epilogue

Carly pulled her car into the parking lot at Bushwell Plaza and hurried into the lobby. "Good evening, Miss Shay," the young doorman greeted in cultured tones. Carly smiled and nodded at him. He was well groomed, and his uniform was immaculate—so different from Lewbert. It had been nearly a year since his funeral, but Carly still couldn't believe that wart had turned out to be a rare form of skin cancer.

"Hello, Reginald," she said, trying to hide the sadness in her voice at the memory of the grouchy old doorman.

"Your brother isn't in this evening ma'am," he said.

"I know," she replied. "I'm supposed to be meeting Freddie here."

"Ah, yes," Reginald answered smoothly, "Mr. Benson came in earlier this afternoon. I assume he is still upstairs with his mother."

"Thank you, Reginald," Carly murmured as she stepped into the elevator. As she rode, she looked down and studied herself. The red dress she had found beautifully gift wrapped on the bed was brand new, but it was so familiar. Freddie's note had asked her to meet him at Spencer's place for a moment before their date. _"I wonder what this is all about,"_ she thought.

The elevator stopped on Spencer's floor, and Carly made her way to his door. She pulled the key she still carried out of her purse and let herself in. She paused inside the door, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. _"Where is he?"_ she wondered. Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out to see a text message from Freddie. "3rd floor," was all it said.

"Why does he want me up there?" she muttered to herself as she stepped into the elevator. "The old studio hasn't been used in years."

Her jaw dropped as she stepped off the elevator into the old iCarly studio. The room was decorated almost exactly as it had been seven years earlier. Freddie was standing in the middle of the room looking gorgeous in a crisp tuxedo. His 6'2" frame filled the room in a way it never had when they used to do iCarly in here. "What's all this?" Carly asked, recognizing the familiar dialogue from so long ago.

Freddie's smile beamed. "Our date," he answered. He started the music and that familiar song—_their_ song—filled the air. They danced. They ate. They talked and laughed and danced some more.

"Wow, Freddie," Carly said, looking around her again at how he had recreated that magical night. "This is such a wonderful surprise. I was expecting a more conventional Valentine's date. You never stop amazing me."

"Well," he said, taking a deep breath, "I have something very special to give you tonight." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box.

Carly held her breath as he knelt before her. He opened the box and held it out to her. The diamonds nestled in the black velvet sparkled in the candlelight. "Oh, Freddie," she gasped.

"Carly Shay," he began, his voice trembling, "I love you more than anything. Everything I am, everything I've ever done or ever will do, is all because of you. I am the man that I am because of you. First it was my love for you, then your love for me. What I'm saying is, you're my world, my reason for everything I do. I'm not me unless I have you. I owe you my life, and I need you in it—forever."

Tears shone in Carly's eyes as Freddie took a moment to breathe. "Marry me, Carly," he whispered fervently.

"Oh, Freddie," she whispered as she pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around him. "Yes! Of course I'll marry you!" She stood on her toes and kissed him passionately.

He beamed at her as he slipped the ring onto her left hand. She studied the ring. Two round stones were surrounded by intricate scrollwork that formed a figure 8 around them. The scrollwork was covered in diamond chips. The antique silver finish made the ring look like an heirloom. "It's beautiful," she said, smiling up at him.

"I'm glad you like it," he whispered into her ear as he held her close. He pulled back and held her hand up between them. "Spencer helped me with the design, and we got one of Socko's cousins, Jewel, to make it. The scrollwork, see how it looks like a number 8 on its side?" She nodded, and he went on, "that's the mathematical symbol for infinity." He gazed down into her eyes. "It's the perfect symbol for my love for you—how deep it is and how long it will last. It's infinite."

"I love you so much, Freddie," she whispered as he wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "The past seven years have been so wonderful. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't fallen in love with you."

"Thank God for taco trucks, then," he chuckled as he leaned down to kiss her.

"No," she said when their lips separated, "thank God for _you_, Freddie Benson."

**The End**

**AN: Many thanks and much love to all of you who have stayed with me throughout this story. I hope you've enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated.  
**

**Is anyone else as excited as I am about the premier of "iSaved Your Life" tonight? :) :) :)  
**


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